People are not resources. Their time and energy is. Money is your third resource.

Too often we chase perfection. We filter out the “bad” ideas before they see daylight, thinking we’re saving time.

But innovation rarely comes from perfect ideas. It comes from collisions between different thoughts, good and bad alike.

Think of it like improv: “yes, and…” We need more raw material to play with. More ideas to bounce around, even the “bad” ones.

We say it worked better when we were all in the same place. That we were more innovative. More in tune.

But I think we’re nostalgic for a time when we didn’t have options. We could only have workshops together in conference rooms.

That’s where everything happened. The aha moments. The breakthroughs.

That correlation is what makes us think it was good. But it was the only thing we had.

I’m thinking a bit about preparing vs planning. Especially when it comes to building new things aka innovation.

Planning can be rigid and lead us down specific paths. The idea of knowing the destination and just going along.

Preparing is about setting the stage, building capabilities and staying flexible.

3M, the company behind every agile coach’s favorite accessory (the Post-it), prepares for innovation by giving employees 15% of their time to experiment and spot opportunities. One such opportunity was the failed adhesive experiment that lead to a somewhat sticky mess that made up the adhesive for post-its.

This approach to culture set the stage for innovation to emerge naturally rather than forcing it through rigid plans.

Another example is Design Sprints, a five day workshop that originated from Google Ventures which purpose is to verify a new idea. Planning handles the schedule, the five days and their structure. But the real magic comes from preparation: identifying the right challenge, finding the right people to interview, and selecting the right participants. Without proper preparation, even a perfectly planned sprint won’t lead to meaningful innovation.

While planning is crucial for execution, preparing is key for innovation.

Productivity isn’t about doing more. It’s about choosing what we do.

When I watch a specific YouTuber playing games, I’m making an active choice. I know what I want. I pick the content. I enjoy the experience.

But when I mindlessly swipe through reels or shorts, I’m just reacting. The algorithm chooses for me. I’m not in control.

This is the difference between productivity and waste. Productivity happens when we actively choose. Waste happens when we passively react.

AI in itself is not a silver bullet.

Similar to software. We use one for music and a different for mail.

We have plenty of different apps to achieve different outcomes.

In Swedish we call the complicated task of living, working, being a parent, taking vacation, cleaning or meeting friends managing the life puzzle.

Is puzzle really the best word for this? Would life balance be better?

Puzzles have a tendency to be finished. But life puzzles will never be done. The only way it could be like a real puzzle is if someone keeps hiding pieces or dragging it to the floor.

I really like the term Slop. One of those ideophonic words that feels like it means.

AI Slop has become like a shorthand word to summarize quickly produced and often indistinguishable content that floods SoMe and you inbox with newsletters.

In the 1500s and forward slop came to describe cheap and ready-made clothing and in 1800s it was associated with mass-produced, low-quality clothing produced by workers with little to no rights or regulations.

Slop has always been about quantity over quality.

A good trait of a leader is to not go bonkers at all times every day.

You might be full on, but your team is possibly not.

Most chat and email tools have features to delay or schedule sending. Use it.

One of the biggest habit changes is scheduling. I’ve seen such an improvement when I block time for tasks and ensure I’m ready to start immediately.

Take making music for example. I don’t want to waste time setting up equipment. plugging everything in and opening apps before I can start creating.

That’s too much friction. Instead pick a few key tools. Make them instantly available. Schedule your time and just go.