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Daily one-pagers about AI, leadership, technology, and being human.

johnmaconline

I'm writing to think, learn, and remember in public. I'll be here everyday.

March 30, 2026 1 minute read

Stay Here or Go There

HumanLeadershipThe250

You always have a choice.

You can stay here. Staying here might be the best option. It certainly has benefits like you’re already here, familiarity, you might be the expert, and your people might be here. It also feels less risky.

Or, you can go there. Going there requires effort, might be the wrong place, and probably doesn’t have your people. It feels riskier.

Which is better? I guess that depends on how you define better.

One thing’s for sure, everybody is somewhere, and most of them act like where they are is better, regardless of whether they feel like it’s better. Intertia and status often drive the acting.

If you can recognize, or at least define for yourself, what better is, then you can choose wisely and deliberately about where you’re going to be.

March 29, 2026 1 minute read

Multitasking Still Doesn’t Work

AILeadershipTechnology

I’ve found myself in a frantic state of chaos recently.

Agentic AI provides the illusion of multitasking, and I fell into its trap. “I can do 8 things at once!”

No, I can’t. Oh, but I tried. No, I can’t.

Leading an agentic AI workforce requires the same approach as leading a human workforce, and the first thing to remember is that multitasking is impossible. You’re task switching, not multitasking, so approach your AI workforce accordingly.

Each needs your full attention while you’re interacting with it.
Allow yourself the task switching time.
Attend to them in priority order (priority might be from their side, not just yours).
Ask clarifying questions.

Multitasking still doesn’t work, even with Agentic AI.

March 28, 2026 1 minute read

Getting Beat Up

HumanLeadershipThe250

It happens to all of us.

Somewhere, sometime, you’ve been beaten up. Maybe at work. Maybe at home. Maybe in some other situation.

You didn’t like it. You won’t like it when it happens next time.

You have a few options when it happens. One, you can bitch and moan about it. Two, you can hide from the next one. Three, you can learn and modify. Four, you can ignore.

Or, you can do several of them.

Getting beat up means you’re in the ring.

If you want to stay in the ring, you know what you have to do.

March 27, 2026 1 minute read

The AI Crap-Amplification Loop

AITechnologyThe250

Yesterday, AI totally screwed up my machine and whole day.

The symptoms were pegged CPU (fan spinning loudly), “unable to fork” messages when trying to run Terminal commands, and 1000’s of grep, curl, and python processes running out of control.

That last clause there, ie, those processes running out of control, looks like an attack. Like maybe somehow I’ve launched a virus on my machine, and that virus (a python script) is searching my machine (the grep) for all credentials and sending them (the curl) to some unknown location.

Panic. Shut the network down. Shut the machine down. Shut it all down.

Luckily, that was a red herring. No attack.

It turns out it was just AI looping on itself and amplifying the crap. Unmitigated. Untethered. Unlimited.

Note to self: We may put some limits on AI.

March 26, 2026 1 minute read

The Last 5%

HumanLeadershipThe250

I usually use the grocery store that’s three miles from my house.

It’s easy, clean, and covers 95% of what I want and need on a daily basis. No complaints.

However, if I want or need that last 5%, it’s a 45-minute drive. Do I want to? Do I really need to? Is it worth it? Can I make do without?

The last 5% always requires time, energy, and resource commitment.

Is it worth it?

Only you can decide, but remember that your competitors are making that same tradeoff.

March 25, 2026 1 minute read

The Seduction of Almost

HumanLeadershipThe250

Almost changed.
Almost launched.
Almost started.
Almost finished.
Almost won.
Almost went.
Almost signed up.
Almost quit.
Almost jumped.
Almost spent the money.

Sometimes, almost isn’t under our control. Sometimes it is.

It’s up to us not to confuse or conflate the two situations.

Although almost is awfully seductive.

March 24, 2026 1 minute read

A Uniform

HumanLeadershipThe250

If they gave you a uniform, it means you’re on the team.

Whether you’re the starter or the very last person on the bench. The uniform is identical.

You’re on the team. You’ll get in the game.

That’s how you make a difference.

March 23, 2026 1 minute read

Whacking Your Thumb

HumanLeadershipThe250

I’ve hit my thumb with a hammer at least 15939 times.

This tells me a few things about myself. One, maybe I’m not careful enough. Two, maybe I’m not good enough. Three, maybe I’m not a professional. Four, maybe I like pain. Five, maybe I like attention. Six, maybe I’m dumb. Seven…

If you keep doing what you’ve always done, it always tells you something.

March 22, 2026 1 minute read

Up the Hill

HumanLeadershipThe250

You’re standing at the bottom looking up.

It’s large. It’s daunting. You can see dense shrubbery, boulders, and crevasses along the path. Actually, what path?

You can’t see the top.

What lies up there? Will it be better than down here? Will you get hurt trying to get up there? How will you know the path to take? Is it worth it?

Only you can decide.

Maybe here’s a way to think about it:

Don’t.

Just start climbing. One step at a time.

March 21, 2026 1 minute read

Unexpected Unexpectedness

HumanLeadershipThe250

What would you do if you just…

Got an unexpected promotion?
Received unexpected, great news from the doctor?
Got an unexpected $5000 bonus?

Got laid off?
Received unexpected, terrible news from the doctor?
Got an unexpected $5000 bill?

It depends on how unexpected “unexpected” was.

You can’t plan for everything. So how will you react?

Unexpected arrives without your permission.

It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when.

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