Posts

The AI Automation Trap: What Manufacturing Can Teach Us About Agents, Token Costs, and Layoffs

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  “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.” — Roy Amara Roy Amara’s observation, often called Amara’s Law , perfectly captures the current moment in generative AI. We are almost certainly overestimating what AI can safely and economically do in the short term. At the same time, we may be underestimating how profoundly it will reshape work, software, organizations, and human productivity over the long term. That tension is important. The problem is not that AI is useless. Quite the opposite. Generative AI is already a remarkably useful assistant. It can help people write, summarize, brainstorm, research, code, analyze, and learn faster. Used well, it can expand what an individual is capable of doing. The problem is that we are confusing a powerful assistant with an autonomous worker. I created this simple explainer video where I describe generative AI as a “smart guesser.” That phrase is intenti...
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How AI Really Works

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  This video is my attempt to describe Generative AI in a way that's simple enough for anyone to understand so they know best how to use it.
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CEO Succession Planning Is Not an Event—It’s an Operating Discipline

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  This article was first published on LinkedIn .  CEO succession planning is one of the most consequential responsibilities of a board—yet too often, it’s treated as a reactive event. It shouldn’t be. Succession planning should be an ongoing discipline, not something that begins when a CEO signals their departure—or when a crisis forces action. The best organizations build it into their operating rhythm. A few principles I’ve been reflecting on: Internal candidates outperform external hires According to study by the Yale School of Management, insiders promoted to the CEO role consistently outperform outside hires. And yet, we often overvalue external candidates. We trust polished interviews over years of observed performance—despit...
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Rethinking the "Lunch Test"

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Photo by August de Richelieu This article was first published on LinkedIn Early in my career, I was invited to join an interview panel tasked with evaluating software developer candidates. Beyond assessing their technical skills, we were also asked to evaluate their "culture fit." The guidance we received was simple: apply the Lunch Test . Would you want to have lunch with this person even if you didn’t work together? At the time, this seemed like a reasonable measure. After all, I would only choose to have lunch with someone I liked, and liking a colleague felt important—especially for someone I would end up spending a lot of time working with in the trenches. Over time, however, I realized that the Lunch Test was deeply flawed. It was an easy way for bias—both conscious and unconscious—to seep into the hiring process. ...
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Quincy Jones Leadership Lessons

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  This article was first published on LinkedIn . Quincy Jones was arguably the most influential and successful music producer of our generation. When he passed away in 2024, he left an indelible mark on the music, film, and television industries—one that will likely never be rivaled. His career spanned multiple musical generations and genres, and he collaborated with some of the greatest artists of all time, including Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson. Along the way, he amassed an astonishing 28 Grammy Awards, solidifying his place as a true legend. Beyond his musical genius, Quincy Jones was a leader whose legacy offers valuable lessons for anyone seeking to inspire, innovate, and excel. Here are four of the most impactful leadership lessons we can learn from him. ...
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Beach Waste: Are these your clothes?

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This article was first published on LinkedIn You may have read about the tragic piles of discarded used clothes that line a beach in Accra, Ghana. My question to you, are some of these clothes yours? The average US resident throws out 81 pounds of clothing each year . While donating your clothes to thrift stores is much better than throwing them out, that is by no means a perfect solution. Perhaps less than 20% of clothes donated will be sold in thrift stores, the rest destined for textile recyclers, salvage buyers, and landfills (where 85% of all textiles end up). Salvage buyers will export clothes in bulk to second-hand clothing markets like Ghana where they will be picked through and what's left is how we end up with beach waste (see What Really Happens to the Clothes You Donate ). Yes, that sweater you so dutifully donated could be in that mess! ...
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Embracing Generative AI: Navigating Risks, Maximizing Potential, and Cultivating Innovation

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  This article was first published on LinkedIn . In today's ever-evolving technological landscape, the rise of generative AI marks a pivotal moment. We are on the brink of a groundbreaking era where the rise in AI is having a profound impact on the way we work. Among these strides, ChatGPT emerges as a revolutionary force, boasting capabilities that were once confined to the realms of science fiction. However, as with any groundbreaking technology, alongside its promises, risks loom large. The potential impact of generative AI surpasses mere novelty; its influence might rival or even exceed that of the internet and smartphones. Concerns linger, especially regarding AI's effect on employment. Venture Capitalist  Vinod Khosla predicts  that AI will be able to replace 80% of all jobs in the next 10 to 20 years. This echoed worries expressed by UN Secretary General António Guterres in his  statement at the UK AI Safety Summit  that “AI will further exacerbate the en...
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