All the talk is about AI boosting productivity, but the reality is that businesses have become more efficient through increased focus.

Orgs woke up & realized they could achieve 2-3x results with half the people.

Headcount reduction = lots of cash on hand -> primed to invest seriously in AI.

Back in the US for the first time in a year.

Hardest adjustment?

The default 25% tip for ice cream.

Red flag: Company marketing dominated by hackathons and events over product updates.

Most of the time, I ask the models to rewrite my prompts to make them more effective.

I imagine this soon becomes an on/off toggle.

Back-of-the-napkin math beats polished slide decks and fancy financial models every time.

This is the worst well-intentioned advice I've ever received.

"Be a shield for the development team. This includes synthesizing user feedback and customer support learnings for them."

It took me years to realize how harmful it was.

You can't put user emotion into a product scope.

In speaking with top people, I have not had a conversation with anyone who views this AI grid differently.

When evaluating team members re: AI replacement, attitude & curiosity matter way more than replaceability.

To add oxygen to the conversation around what AI enables for them & the broader org.

Jumping back into the startup building after traveling for a year.

The biggest change...

Oversharing feels more of an obligation than an interruption.

Now, the more team members who are ingesting the daily intake, offering perspectives, and engaging in meaningful back-and-forth, the better.