Vignettes

Does a Bridge Decide to Collapse?

Does a Bridge Decide to Collapse?

To start, I am not an AI expert.

But I’m going to attempt to answer a deceptively simple question:

What is AI?

Yes, you can Google it.
You can ask Claude or ChatGPT.

You’ll get a clean, technical definition.

That’s not what I’m interested in.

Instead, I want to explore the answers people actually mean when they say “AI.”

Because AI isn’t easy to box in or define.
It’s a projection. A fear. A promise. A belief system.

So what is AI?

  • AI is the god of everything.
  • AI is utopia.
  • AI is the apocalypse.
  • AI will take my job.
  • AI is the imagination of a few tech billionaires.
  • AI is inevitable.
  • AI is biased and racist.
  • AI is proliferating faster than its implications can be understood — or regulated.
  • AI is an opportunity for humanity.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll explore each of these definitions (some I agree with and some I do not, but their consideration is important).

Because each one reveals less about AI — and more about us — the creators and regulators of AI.

AI is already embedded in our daily lives. It recommends what we watch, flags fraud, screens resumes, generates images, and predicts behavior. It creates pressure to learn, adapt, keep up, and not be left behind. And not just for humans but for companies.

So when we ask, “What is AI?” we’re also asking:

  • What is it this time?
  • Who benefits?
  • Who is harmed?
  • Who decides?

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Timnit Gebru speak. She opened with the same question:

What is AI?

Her answer?

“I don’t know.”

And I loved that.

Here is someone widely recognized as an expert — formerly co-lead of the Ethical AI team at Google — who began not with certainty, but with humility.

She co-authored research that outlines the risks of large language models, including bias, racism, environmental costs, and the amplification of harmful content. She was later forced out of Google after raising those concerns.  Following her departure, Dr. Gebru founded the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR), an independent organization for AI research.

While tech-billionaires like Elon Musk or Sam Altman often speak about AI with sweeping confidence, Gebru began with doubt.

And maybe that’s the most honest starting point.

Before we define it, perhaps we need to ask:

Who gets to define it? Why should we be a little skeptical of that answer?

Because, regardless of its definition or intentions, AI was created by humans.

A bridge doesn’t decide to collapse.

  • If AI is racist, it was trained that way by humans– without consideration of inflammatory source data
  • If it self-replicates, then someone built it without consideration of the implications of AI building AI without human involvement (a very real scenario for Alibaba and Meta)
  • If it causes harm, then humans designed, deployed, or failed to regulate it.

A bridge doesn’t decide to collapse.

And AI does not decide to exist.

It is a human construct.

Which is why the definition of AI should not be exclusively owned by those who are also accountable for its consequences.

Week 2 Recap: The Liar in My Head

Week 2 Recap: The Liar in My Head

Week 2 of my attempt to rewire my tech-addicted brain just wrapped.

This week wasn’t about recognizing the problem. That part is clear. It was about remembering — repeatedly — that I haven’t actually beaten it.

There’s a voice in my head that desperately wants things to go back to “normal.” It tries to convince me I’ve already made enough progress. That I’m fine. That I don’t need to be this strict. That checking something quickly won’t hurt.

That voice is a liar.

This week felt like an internal battle between the part of me that wants clarity and control, and the part that wants comfort and resists change. The battle cost me two days. Not catastrophic days — but steps backward.

And that’s the uncomfortable truth: progress isn’t linear.

What Improved

Despite the slips, this week was more consistent overall.

  • I locked my phone more deliberately.
  • I meditated every single day (which still surprises me).
  • My sleep improved significantly — except on the nights when I slipped and went searching for “the end of the internet.”

Meditation, especially, is proving to be foundational. It’s not dramatic or mystical. It just creates space. And that space gives me clarity.

Same Routine, Better Execution

I followed the same routine as last week (linked here), but this time with more intention.

What changed wasn’t the system — it was my awareness within it.

What I Added: Replace, Don’t Just Remove

This week I realized something important: it’s not enough to reduce tech. I have to replace it with progress.

If I’m reclaiming time, I need to direct it somewhere meaningful. So I added three morning rules:

1. Eat the Frog
Do one hard task first thing in the morning — usually something I’ve been procrastinating on.

2. No phone for the first 30 minutes of the Day
No scrolling. No checking. The only exception is meditation.

3. Daily review
Check the calendar. Write the task list. Track the day.

This shift felt powerful. It’s one thing to avoid distraction. It’s another to actively build momentum.

The Urge Is Still There

The urge to grab my phone hasn’t disappeared.

In fact, it’s incredibly real.

Notifications are sneaky. I turn them off, and somehow a new one appears when I’m least prepared. Thirty minutes disappear before I even register what happened.

That’s the addictive loop. And I’m still in it — just more aware of it, I guess.

The Scorecard

Five very good days.
Two step-backs.

Overall? A good week.

But I haven’t had my first great seven-day week yet.

That’s the goal.

Week 3 starts now.

Go here for the Week 1 Recap

References and Resouces

Eat the Frog; Type: Video

Hope Takes Work

Hope Takes Work

“Hope is a discipline. It’s less about ‘how you feel,’ and more about the practice of making a decision every day, that you’re still gonna put one foot in front of the other, that you’re still going to get up in the morning… It’s work to be hopeful. It’s not like a fuzzy feeling… you have to actually put in energy, time, and you have to be clear-eyed, and you have to hold fast to having a vision. It’s a hard thing to maintain. But it matters to have it, to believe that it’s possible, to change the world…”

— Mariame Kaba (a full interview with Kaba is available to watch here.)

I don’t know who needs to read this. But I do. Every day.

Week 1 Recap: Dealing with Tech Addiction

Week 1 Recap: Dealing with Tech Addiction

Last week, I set out to rewire my tech-addicted brain.

The problem I’m trying to solve is simple: I’m not getting a proper reset from one day to the next. That lack of reset leaves me feeling anxious throughout the day. Some people can push through and fake it, but for me, it was compounding. It was catching up, and I needed to do something about it.

I know I’m not alone in this, so I decided to share the journey.

For the month of February, I’m focusing on becoming more aware of how I use technology while building habits that help reduce the dopamine deficit I carry over from the day—and night—before.

Each day, I tracked behaviors that either reduced my tech usage or improved my overall balance:

  • Wake up by 6:00 a.m. (no earlier than 5:00 a.m.)
  • No phone in the bathroom (obvious—and disgusting)
  • One hour of active learning (not work-related) per day
  • “Brick” my phone for 10 hours a day (remove apps that put me into autopilot)
  • Work out at least 3 times per week
  • Meditate for 10 minutes per day
  • Off tech by 8:30 p.m.
  • Create deliberate family time in the morning

The biggest lesson from this week: I’m addicted.

The urge to pick up my phone is constant. Games and apps are clearly designed to reinforce that behavior. Still, for a first week, I did well.

Two habits made the biggest difference: meditation and bricking my phone.

On days I meditated—though I didn’t manage it every day—I completed about 50% more of my objectives than on days I didn’t. That surprised me. I don’t usually meditate, and I find it difficult, but the impact was undeniable. I’m going to keep doing it.

On days I bricked my phone for at least 10 hours, I completed 100% of my objectives.

For clarity, “bricking” my phone means using an app that essentially turns my smartphone into a flip phone: no apps, no web, no distractions.

For more details on my detox, go to the start here.

The Problem with Frictionless Experiences

The Problem with Frictionless Experiences

I’ve spent more than 30 years in Customer Experience, including the last 15 leading Professional Services teams. Throughout that time, the goal has always been the same: wow customers and make implementation—which is really just another word for change—as smooth and painless as possible.

But here’s the truth we don’t say out loud often enough: friction isn’t inherently bad.

Doing hard things is what gives the work meaning. Which is more valuable—a trophy you get just for showing up, or one you earn after months of discipline and effort? Friction creates the conditions for resilience, and resilience is closely tied to real accomplishment.

In any implementation, you’ll inevitably discover that not everything works the way it’s supposed to—or the way you thought it would. That’s normal. What ultimately defines the customer experience isn’t the absence of friction, but how you respond to it. The ability to navigate challenges thoughtfully is what makes or breaks an implementation. Often, the biggest shift comes from realizing you’re not as stuck as you think you are.

So consider terms like “frictionless” or “seamless” as aspirational. They’re worth aiming for, but they don’t always produce the best outcomes. To be clear, I’m not suggesting we intentionally hit every speed bump at full speed. I’m simply acknowledging that encountering a few along the way is both normal—and sometimes valuable.

Addiction – And What I’m Doing About it

Addiction – And What I’m Doing About it

Starting February 1, I will be going through a dopamine reset. This is Dr. Lembke’s 30-day dopamine reset, as referenced in her book “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.” Every day, I will abstain from technology and games – things that have become my default way of calming myself down in this political, economic, and work climate. But here’s the thing, my addiction does not actually calm me down; they make me numb by giving me frictionless (arguably, meaningless) momentary rewards. So, during the month of February, I will do hard things, and I will be posting weekly about my progress, regressions, and struggles. Wish me luck. Below is the plan.

Step 1: Name the problem: Tech addiction is my drug of choice.

  1. I have easy access at all times
  2. There is an infinite quantity of content and rabbit holes
  3. Because the internet is endless, I lose complete track of everything (including time and focus – two very precious things)
  4. Also, because I never reach an end, there is always a need to continue – to find the information treasure or the one story, meme, or video that makes it all worth it.
  5. Lastly, I play a game on my phone that is clearly built on Addictive principles, as it reinforces constant use for points that have no real meaning.

Step 2: Name the plan: Undergo Dopamine Addiction Rewiring

During my Dopamine Reset.

  1. I will upregulate dopamine by improving on:
    • Deliberate Exercise – Success Measure: Minimum 3x a week
    • Meditation: 10 minutes daily – Boredom is not bad
    • Overall: Reinvesting in things that are hard
  2. To do this, I will:
    • Remove all browsers from my personal laptops
    • This week: I will count my baselines (daily time on tech)
    • Remove instagram and games from my phone
    • Identify & remove triggers that create my need for technology
    • Shut my work computer down by 7pm
    • Use the brick.app to ensure I stay off my phone at the wrong times
    • Turn off all technology 1 hour before bed
    • Dedicate a minimum of 1 hour to learning
    • Switch to grayscale on all devices
  3. Who is going to hold me accountable:
    • My Partner
    • You (Posting here will keep me honest)

My goal is to reduce my Dopamine Deficit, which makes me susceptible to Addiction.

Buckle up. February should be interesting.

References and Resources

‘How I rewired my brain in six weeks’ (Part 1) by BBC; Type: Video

‘Dopamine Detox: How to Regain Control of Your life in 30 days‘ by Doug Bopst/Dr. Lempke; Type: Video

Too Much Information – One Idea to Manage the Noise

Too Much Information – One Idea to Manage the Noise

I’m overwhelmed.

There is so much coming at us, and so many methods for that information to reach us. At work, it could be Teams, Slack, Email, Cell, a CRM, or a work management platform; at home, it’s called the internet. The endless Internet. And our children, partners, pets, politics, and, well, just life.

One way that I’ve found to sort through the noise is an app called Attrove. Every morning, Attrove, an AI Communication aggregator, reviews all my email, Slack, and calendar invites and writes up and records a 10-minute summary of everything I should be thinking about going into the day. It’s fantastic. It doesn’t replace taking notes or having a clear task list, but it does a great job of reviewing all the main comms channels. And because it’s AI, it treats all information equally, without favoring the sender or the number of exclamation points used. I do miss things without Attrove, and the $20/month is worth me avoiding too many dropped balls.

I’m curious what’s working for you to manage the noise?

Satisficing – The “Good Enough” Approach

Satisficing – The “Good Enough” Approach

Satisficing – (verb) Pursuing the minimum acceptable results or outcome because that decision is familiar, hassle-free, and requires the least investigation.

Herbert Simon first coined the term in 1956.

The difference between satisficing and iterating is the idea of permanence.

When you satisfice, you’ve accepted an end-state far less than ideal. In other words, you’ve given up on learning or doing more because you’ve conscientiously decided this is where you stop.

When iterating, you accept a less-than-ideal starting state, with plans to continually improve beyond it. You choose to continue and do more.

Iterating implies growth. Satisficing indicates an endpoint that is good enough.

We all face times and decisions where satisficing is alluring. There is so much coming our way that it’s almost inevitable – whether we know it or not. What could be one thing where you might be choosing to satisfice? And is that not as high a priority for you as the things you are actively iterating on?

References and Resources

Steve Portigal – Interviewing Users: I first ran across the term “satisfice” in this book.

More details are here.

Note: Originally posted on January 4, 2018 – this is the 3rd version of this post.

The Annual Reset: Reflect and Forgive

The Annual Reset: Reflect and Forgive

Whether you believe in New Year’s Resolutions or not, there is always a need for a personal reset—an annual review of patterns that need to be broken. Whether it’s drinking too much, working too hard, not speaking up in a relationship or at work, smoking, or whatever, you are likely in some patterns. However, it’s important to note that not all patterns are destructive. Some are good, some appear as bad on the surface but are better than the alternatives, and some are just bad for you. You may be aware of them, not aware of them at all, or somewhere in between. It’s not uncommon to feel you are in a bad pattern but not know precisely what it is.

Here are a few suggested readings if the Reset you need is around your work.

  1. If you are generally unhappy at work, but don’t really know why – pick up: Reboot by Jerry Colonna – It’s a great book to start identifying what ghosts you may have in your machine.
  2. If you feel stuck in your job or your role, pick up: Do Over by Jon Acuff. It’s a book about finding yourself, whether in or out of a job. I’ve read this one a few times, and I’ve always found something within it that propels me forward.
  3. If you’re feeling directionless, you can pick up Start with Why by Simon Sinek. There is an easy formula for understanding your purpose. Find Your Why is more personal and human, while Start with Why is more business-oriented. Both are solid reads.
  4. If you are consistently getting in your own way at work or beyond, pick up The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. This is a book about the inner battle and overcoming your own personal resistance to success, whatever that may mean to you. It’s an easy read but a heady one.

As always, stay healthy, find happiness, and feel free to kick ass at work. If that needs you to forgive yourself or someone else, that may be a good place to start. Good luck.

Art by Frank Furlong

Did Someone Say AI?

Did Someone Say AI?

To say that AI is everywhere would be an understatement. It’s fascinating to see how companies are leveraging the fear, excitement, and possibilities of AI to sell their product. One visit to San Francisco will prove this to be true. But on a human level, it’s equally clear that so many people are unsure what the hell AI is, really. Other than confusing. And a little scary. Thinking back to the proliferation of the internet and email addresses, AI feels very fast in comparison. So, what could you do? Well, you learn and evolve. Like you did with the Internet, or email addresses, or puberty. AI has massive potential, but there are so many “experts” on this topic that it’s common to buy into the fear—a common way to move products or services.

If you want to start to learn, pick up Mustafa Suleyman’s book on AI called The Coming Wave. It will help ground you and challenge you to find your own personal balance with AI. It’s daunting, yes. But if you can see one way to use AI to make you more productive, then you are learning. And evolving, and that’s all you can do right now, because AI is so ubiquitous.