Do you ever notice how whatever you’re thinking and working on starts showing up everywhere?
This week’s newsletter was inspired by a question: Are we asking the most effective questions around AI and its impact on work? I’ve got a project consulting on AI agents and workplace operations, which is another word for culture. I was motivated by a piece from Planet Money reacting to a survey produced by Harvard around AI and productivity. Both focused on a time-worn concept: more labor done in fewer hours. I think this definition lacks gumption in the age of AI. It focuses too much on older norms, and not enough on relevant ideas, i.e. What if knowledge is freely available, and not kept behind the gates of education, or books?
And all of a sudden, my TikTok addiction paid off.
Nate Jones is a self described Silicon Valley “graybeard” product manager. I enjoy his TikTok. He offered some observations this week which align well with the ideas percolating in my own brain about work culture in the age of AI. So the bulk of today’s podcast are excerpts from Nate’s positions paired with my reactions and commentary.
October 12, 2024