This reminded of a recent episode where I had to replace my rear bike tire. I already have a toolset for basic maintenance: a full set of hex keys, flat and philips screwdrivers, track pump, 14/15" wrench, as well as lubricants and cleaning sprays. Served me well so far so I thought all I had to do was buy inner tubes and the tire.
Wrong. To begin with, the wrench I had was too short to remove the wheel nut; I had to buy a longer one for better leverage. Then, when removing the old tire, I needed tire levers to get them off. Maybe a better mechanic than me could've McGyvered the operation without tire levers but it blows my mind that I needed such a specialized tool. You will notice all the tools I've had so far were multipurpose, exactly why I bought them. Even the pump can inflate footballs. The name "tire levers" captures their singular purpose perfectly.
Anyway, after I accomplished the task, I was quite pleased with myself. I even finally bought a proper toolbox. In my mind I was considering DIYing further upgrades to my bike. What about a new chain? Or why not a new gearset?
Nope, turns out I still don't have enough tools to even accomplish this. If you want to unlink your chain, there is a special tool for that too. To remove your cassette you need to keep the gears from spinning with a "sprocket lock tool"[1]. In fairness other tools like the torque wrench and the lockring, aren't so single-purpose but I'm unlikely to use them for something else other than my bike.
Lesson of the story: In real life, there are a lot of specialized tools. You can buy a Swiss Army knife but there's a reason why it's not yet the DIY-er's best friend. I agree with the sentiment of the article but I'm even more glad that I'm a software engineer, not a mechanical engineer.
[1] I don't know the exact name for the tool but you can see it 23s in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KAaP7pbFV0