I'm writing to think, learn, and remember in public. I'll be here everyday.
When is good enough good enough?
Good enough depends on where you are in your history. If you’re at the beginning, then it’s good enough when:
Good enough is likely sooner than your comfortable self will tell you it is.
The fine print.
The pages and pages of legalese.
The motormouthed disclaimer.
The buried clause.
Go ahead and feed every legal document and contract you’re asked to sign into AI with the following prompt:
“Summarize this from my point of view. What am I signing up for? What are my obligations? What are the key things to be aware of? Are there any weasel clauses? What can I get caught on? Are there any unusual terms and conditions?”
Help others do the same.
Here are some interesting statistics for 5k times:
My personal best time in a 5k was around 20:15, which I ran in my 40’s. Today, I would probably be between 24:00 and 25:00.
The day I ran the 20:15, I didn’t place. Went home with the banana and the same T-Shirt as the walkers.
One time, however, I ran a 22-something on a Thanksgiving morning and took first place in my age group and 9th overall. It was stupid cold. Snow on the ground. Lots of people stayed home.
Who’s your competition?
If you’re not in the top 5% of the room you’re standing in, you could switch rooms. When looking for that new room, you might want to find the one that others shy away from.
Have you ever seen a keyboard on a UK computer?
At first, you won’t notice a difference because it’s almost the same as a US keyboard, but not quite. There are a few more keys, and some of the symbols are in different spots.
Of course, you’ll be able to use it, no problem. It’s English, 95%+ is the same, and you have eyes. But if you’re an accomplished typer, you’re gonna occasionally get it wrong. Will it make a difference? It depends on what you’re doing.
DeWalt vs Milwakee vs Makita drill.
Ford vs Chevy vs Toyota truck.
Outlook vs Apple Mail vs Gmail.
Windows vs MacOS vs Linux.
You probably have an opinion about which is “for you.”
It might be brand (i.e., tribe), or country, or privacy, or something else you identify with.
Or it might be a nuance of efficiency. “I know this one better. I understand it better. I’m faster and better when I use it.”
If you’re a leader, your people will have an opinion about the tools they use to do their work. That’s good. You want people with these opinions because you want craftsmen. Craftsmen care about their tools.
But it’s your job to figure out which of those opinions matter for the personal and collective good of the organization and which are simply religion.
Of course, most business value propositions are, at their core, some version of “faster, better, cheaper.”
You’ve probably spent your career working under some part of that value proposition. I certainly have. It’s almost exclusively what technology is about. It’s what we at 4TLAS do for our clients.
But what about life?
We have to eat, fix the leaky roof, keep the checking account (reasonably) balanced, maintain the car, etc.
Millions of companies and people exist to “faster, better, cheaper” those things for us. Why make a meal when I can have someone do it faster, better, cheaper? Why refinish my own kitchen cabinets when I can have someone do it faster, better, cheaper? Why change the oil myself…
Faster, better, cheaper. It’s hard to argue with.
What do you like doing? And I mean doing — actively participating in some sort of labor.
The enjoyment of labor — whether it’s working on your house or car, crocheting, writing, or cooking — is in the labor itself. The doing. Slower.
The outcome of your labor may not be as good as someone else could do. You’re not the best, but you’re still proud of it. Worse.
You’re not buying in volume. Maybe you’ve wasted material or money on the wrong thing. Maybe you’ve redone it several times. But now you’re happy with it. More expensive.
Enjoyment is about engaging. Putting yourself into it through your labor.
Slower, worse, more expensive.
If you’re hiring AI into your organization, it will have specific purposes with specific job descriptions.
“AI-3691’s job is to convert all of the incoming data from INF, XML, and binary to JSON format with the following spec…”
“AI-8133’s job is to serve as the initial point of contact for our clients, gather all needed information about their case, provide initial legal guidance through research of case precedents, conduct follow-up documentation acquisition, and provide support to the assigned lawyer.”
Some of those job descriptions might look like replacements for what people used to do. In fact, that’s probably inevitable. You might even say, “Hey! That’s what I’m supposed to do!”
But then the world changes. Consequently, the organization needs to change with it. Suddenly, all of those very specific job descriptions are either no longer relevant or look like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.
Even though some specific job descriptions will always be required in organizations, it’s the humans who traverse job descriptions that move the organization forward through the inevitable changes of the world. Problem solvers. People who follow their curiosity. Improv artists. Those who do what needs to be done. Humans who care.
People who don’t need a specific job description.
AI sucks at being human. Humans are great at being human.
An artist can’t price her work based on how many hours she spent at the easel.
The software developer can’t price their app based on how many hours he spent at the terminal.
The soft drink producer can’t price the drink in the vending machine based on how many hours it took to build the can, mix the liquids, fill the can, store it, deliver it, and place it in the machine.
All of these are priced based on (perceived) value to a customer willing to purchase.
Whenever you’re making stuff, remember that it’s not about how much time you put in. It’s about how much value you’re providing.
Most people want to be most people.
We say things like, “Everybody…” and then fill in the blank. Or, if we’re justifying, we say things like, “But everybody…” and fill in the blank.
Being a most people provides safety. Protection in numbers. Comfort. No emotional risk. It makes a lot of sense. There’s no problem with being a most people.
Unless you’re trying to do something.
If so, walk around with your head up.
If you can be the one with your head up for any length of time, this is what you’ll see:
If you’re trying to do something, you probably don’t want to be a most people.
One way to start is to walk around with your head up.
Authenticity is for your marriage, parents, and closest friends.
Consistency is for your kids, job, and team.
Sure, there are opportunities for your authentic self to show up for your kids, colleagues, and those depending on you. And there is a wonderful congruency in the world when you’re able to align your authentic self with your consistent self.
But when the shit hits the fan, and you’re angry, tired, and drained, those depending on you need the consistent you, not the authentic you.
You always have the right to be the authentic you in any situation, but we also have the right to disagree with, dislike, and reject that version of you. You have the right to sink the ship with authenticity. We have the right to throw you overboard.
Authenticity is overrated in most situations that call for leadership.
“Oh, you’re one of them.”
Depending on context and source, that’s either a slur or a compliment.
The beauty is that it’s up to you to decide.
