Grit. Sweat. Impostor Syndrome. Perseverance. Desire. Fear. Persistence. We read a great deal of what AI can do and what it does have, but we don’t highlight what it doesn’t have and will always be impossible to have. Some of these might be seen as bad traits – Fear, Impostor Syndrome – but look deep, and they are probably what have driven you to success in many of your endeavours.
It’s Not About What You Know. It’s about what you are willing to figure out. How much effort are you willing to put in? How committed are you to understanding the problem? We’re continually focusing on what AI knows that we don’t but we are forgetting what we have known and done for years.
Having sharp skates is essential to playing any ice sport. The duller they get, the less likely you are to make a quick turn, to pivot, to carve that heated streak in the ice and take off. You can’t plant your foot. You can’t pick up speed. You can’t gain momentum. You can’t achieve purpose. You can’t deliver. It’s a simple tool, a simple fix that generates maximum output. Whatever tools you use, if they…
When you are accountable for your work – whether early, later, or on time – it breeds value. When you own the late deliverable, try to make up for it, people notice. When you finish early, take on more, people notice. When you finish on time, people notice. Being accountable for your work, not blaming it on the weather, other people, etc, will always breed value in not just your work, but yourself.
If we stopped designing houses, the results would be interesting. We design for a reason, we take that moment to breathe and think about a problem, stare out a window in silence, and contemplate what is happening. Any problem that has been solved well took this time to figure out the design. Yes, it’s not always fast, but it should always be good.