"But I'm not technical!" A few months back, I met with a mid-career person who pitched me on a new role: they wanted to spend time with AI product builders to figure out how the industry is changing. My immediate response was: Ok, but what is your experience building AI products? "But I'm not technical!" they protested. Well, I told them, that won't cut it for building an informed perspective on AI transformation. The state of play is changing too quickly. The best way to build an informed...

Tin can in the sky A few years ago, I was flying across the country for a business trip and counting on the flight to get some work done. Unfortunately, the wifi was out for the entire trip. When I landed, I complained about it to a coworker. "Yeah, that's annoying," he said. "On the other hand, you just spent a few hours inside a tin can in the sky, and now you're 3,000 miles away from where you had breakfast this morning. Technology is amazing!" Take two things from this story. One, it is...

The prompt industrial complex These days, AI can produce most common workplace artifacts. From emails to slide decks to financial models to working code, a workable first draft is often just one prompt away. Ok, maybe not one prompt away. It usually takes a few tries to describe exactly what you want. If you care about quality, getting a credible artifact typically involves several prompt <> production cycles. AI refines its output based on how you evolve your prompt, and you refine your...