It's about aerodynamics: if most of the wood is sticking out sideways, the arrow won't fly very well. However, if it all is behind the tip, then it'll at least have a chance to fly. Then again, extending the metaphor, you'll have one really long arrow, and that won't fly very well either.

It's not the best metaphor but it is a relatively well known and understood saying for many native English speakers (at least in North America).

I think some people who have replied to you are trying way too hard to make the metaphor fit. Top item later today will be about a Hacker Newsian with feathers, arrowheads, and a sharp edged rock, being arrested by Google's security while muttering about trajectories and wind resistance and trying to catch Googlers in the cafeteria.

I've never heard it before today, I'm pretty surprised to hear you say that it is a common thing in North America.

It's not so common that I hear it often or anything. It might not even be as well known as I think it is.

/I'd/ never heard it before today - one old USian.

I'd guess it's a mass thing. The more mass you have in the shaft of your arrow, the more momentum it has- ergo, the further it flies and the harder it strikes the target.

I think it's more like: we've got 1 ton of wood. Should we make one really big arrow, or a million smaller ones?

If you're planning on making a 1-ton arrow, you better factor a massive ballista somewhere in those plans.

That's probably easier than the million bows it would take for the arrows.

Yeah, if you read the article heading instead of just these misleading comments, it says "More wood behind fewer arrows". So it makes sense. It's about focus. More resources behind few projects.

Yes... but one could just as easily say "more metal, fewer cars", which would likely just lead to hauling less people at a lower fuel efficiency. ;P What I think people (including me) are looking for is an explanation of where that idiom comes from.

A bigger arrow to hit a bigger target, perhaps? I don't know. I obviously intuit the metaphor, but it's sort of lost on me too.

Off to wikipedia...

Edit: Also, I should note that this tangential thread is why I love HN.

Maybe it's a momentum thing: an arrow with more wood would be heavier, and as a result it would create a greater impact.

Weird metaphor indeed.

... But have a shorter range.

Perhaps it is a good metaphor for killing off a blue-sky lab after all.

more mass = more efficienty energy transfer from bow to arrow, better energy conservation in flight, and deeper target penetration.

And you lose everything if it was aimed in the wrong direction.