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

johnmaconline

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January 19, 2026 2 minute read

Just Make the AI Work Smarter Not Harder

AIThe250

I hate when someone says, “Work smarter, not harder.”

It feels condescending. Like, somehow I’m no good at what I do, or at the very least, I should be doing it differently. 

But, it really is an excellent strategy. And as for “doing it differently” — yeah, maybe I should be. So, look in the mirror, then look around, and find a better approach or system. 

The same is true for your team or organization. 

How do we get more done or more out of this team?

We could be asking this because we believe the team isn’t performing or isn’t producing at the level that it should. Or we could be asking because, regardless of how the team is performing, we need more. 

So the first thing we do is tell them to work harder. 

Working harder doesn’t require any risk. It just takes doing more of the same and yelling louder. Go faster and work more hours! More people. More hands. More muscles. Less sleep. Less thinking. 

Working smarter (ie, finding a new way) requires risk. You must first acknowledge that your current way isn’t the best. Then you have to find new ways. And inevitably, try things that might not work. Any time you try stuff that might not work, your butt is on the line. 

Enter AI.

AI is the easiest “work harder” button we’ve ever been given. It can draft ten versions, iterate 100 times, run all night, and it doesn’t complain or ever need a mental health day. 

So just sprinkle AI over that and make the AI work harder, right?

Just like with yourself or your team, if you work harder on the wrong problem, you just get more wrong faster. More noise. More issues. More busywork that isn’t progress.

More output doesn’t necessarily mean more of what you need. What you need is to solve the problems. You still need to take the risk. You still need to try the things that might not work. 

Make the AI work harder, sure. 

But first, ensure you’re, and by extension, it is, working smarter. 

January 18, 2026 1 minute read

Is AI Really Increasing Productivity?

AIThe250

If you or your organization uses AI, you’ll have an anecdotal answer to this question. 

I do. For myself personally, the answer is 100% “Yes!”

But is it really helping across the board? 

The answer is also “Yes!” And it will increase over the coming years. At least according to this paper.

We find that each year of model progress reduced task time by 8%, with 56% of gains driven by increased compute and 44% by algorithmic progress. However, productivity gains were significantly larger for non-agentic analytical tasks compared to agentic workflows requiring tool use. These findings suggest continued model scaling could boost U.S. productivity by approximately 20% over the next decade.

Either AI will work for you, or you’ll work for AI.

January 17, 2026 2 minute read

Just the Way You Want It

The250

I recently got a new laptop. 

For me, getting a new laptop is awesome. I love computers. I work in and on computers. I spend most of my day using a computer. I started my love for computers in the 4th grade (I still remember the smell). 

The first thing I do with a new computer is change the default settings. 

I really enjoy the process of setting up this new computer just the way I want it. The colors. My custom commands and apps. The operational settings. Window positioning. All of it. It took me about 4 hours to get this new one the way I like it. 

You have things in your life like this as well. Maybe it’s your car, kitchen knives, desk area, travel bag, or workshop. 

The point of having something just the way you want it isn’t about the object. It’s about ownership.

When it’s just the way you want it, it’s yours. When it’s yours, you’re more comfortable. You move faster. You make fewer mistakes. You feel calmer. You trust it. 

You can set up your life the same way, but most of us don’t.

Most of us treat our days like we rent them, not own them. We just keep most of the default settings. Other people’s priorities. “Leaders” telling us what and how to think. The World’s schedule. 

“Spend your money on this!” 
“Spend your attention on that!” 
“You’re not good enough as you are!”

Look at the people you know who are truly enjoying their lives. They own their lives. 

You can too. It’s your choice to change the default settings to just the way you want it. 

January 16, 2026 1 minute read

How to Make Day 1 Successful

The250

I’m sorry. That’s a clickbait title.

Maybe you’ve come here hoping to get that magic formula for day 1 of your new job, business, or school. Maybe you’re looking for the script to make day 1 successful for your new project, life reset, or move to a new city.

It’s not here. At least, there isn’t a formula.

But there is a sure-fire way to make day 1 successful. 

Show up. 

Show up fully as yourself, bringing your curiosity, humility, and passion. Talk and then listen. Be open. Dig in. Find new perspectives. Find new interests. Find new people to help.

You have an amazing opportunity. 

Day 1 simply needs you to show up. 

January 15, 2026 1 minute read

A Clean Slate

The250

I’m starting something new on Monday.

So I took the last week and completely cleaned the slate. I started the week by doing my normal end-of-year / start-of-year cleaning tasks. Next, I totally ripped up the office and physically rehabbed it. Rebuilt the fireplace, new floor, new paint, and some new lighting. It feels different. Finally, I cleaned out an emotional closet that had a few loose ends hanging from the curtain rod. 

A clean, totally refreshed inbox, bank account, and pantry; a totally refreshed room; and an emotionally stable state from which to get started.

If you’re starting something new, I recommend cleaning the slate before you do. 

January 14, 2026 2 minute read

Move Fast and Break Things vs Slow and Steady

AIThe250

The turtle doesn’t always win the race, regardless of Aesop’s famous fable.

Move fast and break things is the famous motto of Facebook developers during its formative years.

It’s great motto for a product like Facebook because:

  • Nobody’s life or safety depends on Facebook. If it’s broke, so what? 
  • It requires thinking differently and encourages (and empowers) the developers to innovate and try stuff. 
  • We don’t know which features will succeed. Feedback on new features/innovations faster is how we figure out where we need to go. 
  • Also, we know we’ll have bugs. Our customers will find them faster than we can. 
  • We’re not stodgy or pretentious. Let’s not act like it.

Also, it’s a crummy motto for a product like an airplane because:

  • Everybody’s life depends on it. 
  • Successful airplane development is built on the back of over a hundred years of collective and systematic development. We have tried and true methods that work, including a chain of command. 
  • We know what an airplane is supposed to do. New versions should do it faster, with more comfort, and less cost. No surprises. 
  • We’d better not put that thing in the air with passengers in it if something doesn’t work.
  • We’re professionals. We know what we’re doing.

You have an opportunity to choose your approach. AI can certainly help you move faster and break things. But AI can also help you go slower and steadier. 

Neither is always correct. 

January 13, 2026 2 minute read

Wagging the Dog

The250

You need some way to measure progress. 

So you pick a metric or two. Some KPI’s. 

This works initially because those metrics measure progress to date. History. “This is where we’re at.” And that’s helpful. 

But inevitably, if you use these KPI’s to evaluate your work moving forward, you or the team starts managing to the metric. Optimizing at first (and maybe that’s positive), but optimizing turns to gaming the system. It has to.

Metrics are hints. Shadows and lagging signals. Useful, but in context.

What you really want is a healthier team, development cycle, and business. Instead of pointing your future at KPI’s that may or may not be useful, ask the right questions. 

  • Are we making something we think is good? 
  • Are we helping someone? 
  • Are we helping each other? 
  • Are we proud of what we shipped? 
  • Are we proud of how we shipped it? 
  • Are our customers happy? 
  • Is the revenue going in the right direction? 
  • Did we earn trust? 
  • Can we be better at what we do? 
  • Can we be faster at what we do?

Metrics are the tail. 

Don’t let the tail wag the dog. 

January 12, 2026 2 minute read

Pay Now or Pay Later

The250

Your code will have bugs. 

Normal teams generate a bug for every 20 lines of code they write. “Better” teams can push that to maybe 100 lines of code. 

The question isn’t “if” you’ll find a bug. The question is “when.” And “when”makes all the difference in how much time, effort, and cost it will take to fix it.

You have a choice. You can push off looking for bugs till later. In fact, you can push it off to your customers. This is the easiest and cheapest up front. You don’t have to invest in the people, systems, or infrastructure to catch bugs. 

Or, you can invest in systems and people to start looking right away, as soon as the code is created. This is initially the most difficult. It requires investment. You must create a system that all developers agree to follow. It requires tooling and a commitment to development and upkeep on that tooling. 

Like most things, you’ll have to pay the price. You get to choose when and how much. 

If you catch a bug early, you can fix it simply and cheaply. But to catch bugs early, you need a larger initial investment. If you catch a bug later, you pay a much larger price. But your initial investment is almost zero. 

Your life will have bugs. 

You’ll have to pay the price to fix them. You get to choose when and how much. 

January 11, 2026 1 minute read

The AI Paradox

AIThe250

Dunning-Kruger is going like gangbusters right now. 

Every entrepreneur, Chief Operating Officer, and anyone with an idea but no knowledge of how to actually do it now thinks they can.

AI, of course.

“We’ll have AI do that.”
“I can reduce my workforce by 30%.”
“I’ll vibe-code that myself.”

To some degree, and in some specific instances, that might be true. AI does indeed provide capacity and capability that never existed before. 

However, this capacity and capability uncover the need for more expertise. Not less. Maybe that expertise shifts from one capability to another and moves capacity to a different area of the pipeline. But it doesn’t remove the need for expertise. 

Someone always wins the lottery. And they’ll be sure to tell you about why they did, how they did it, and how they can help you do it, too. 

But you’re probably better off investing in developing expertise rather than a lottery ticket. 

January 10, 2026 1 minute read

Realizable New Years Resolutions — A Summary

The250

So you’re off to a great start, right?

There are a million ways to create resolutions that you can realize. Here are some guidelines that can help you:

Make the resolutions. Keep them. 2026 will be your best year yet.

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