When execution becomes cheap, the real advantage shifts to disciplined reflection and framing the right questions, letting leaders conserve attention and make better decisions in an AI-driven world.
Cheap execution makes output noisy and devalues speed. The piece argues that leaders who resist constant busywork gain a competitive edge by deliberately pausing, asking clearer questions, and allocating attention to the few actions that truly move the needle. It uses Václav Havel's restraint and Muji's limits as concrete examples of how saying less can be more powerful than doing more.
The article then shows how a well-designed "treasure map"-the London underground redesign by Harry Beck-illustrates the value of visual simplicity. By discarding irrelevant detail and highlighting actionable connections, leaders can see where to dig and where to conserve effort, especially when AI makes answers cheap and abundant.
Later sections shift to AI's systemic impact: not just faster answers but altered coordination constraints. The author warns that focusing on task automation misses the real bottleneck-attention, judgment, and governance. Leaders who reframe problems, control the new coordination points, and own the consequences gain durable advantage as the old metrics of productivity fade.
The closing argument ties reflection to strategic leverage. In a season of calm, the piece invites technical leaders to embed deliberate pause into their routines, turning the scarcity of thoughtful attention into a repeatable source of value as AI reshapes work.
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