AI Slop

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.

Time your messages

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.

Scheduled writing

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.

Experiments

When you treat everything as an experiment you give yourself permission to fail. And that’s exactly how we learn and grow.

Sunk cost and sequels

Sometime we use sunk cost as a reason to do a sequel in our movie called life.

Know when not to act

Just because change happens fast doesn’t mean you need to match its pace.

Stay focused on your core business. Everything else can wait.

Sometimes the best move during rapid change is to sit still in your boat. Just keep watching the waters ahead so you know when it’s truly time to act.

But don’t mistake patience for denial. When change affects your core business it’s time to move.

Doing is a flywheel

You do not get better by not doing.

Doing is a flywheel that creates momentum.

How to be an active listener

  1. Ask a question
  2. Wait until they completely stopped talking
  3. Wait a few seconds more
  4. Then think about all they have said
  5. Then respond

Most listening fails around step 2.

Singer to SaaS

In the mid-1800s, Isaac Singer made two changes that transformed an industry. He invented an affordable sewing machine and sold it with a payment plan. Workshops and individuals could now access technology previously limited to manufacturers. Within decades, thousands of small producers replaced the few professionals who had controlled the industry.

We’re at a similar threshold for AI and software as a service (SaaS). The tools to build software are becoming more accessible every day.

It makes creation possible for everyone. Small teams and individuals can now build tools in days and weeks instead of months and years. Technical complexity that once required years of experience and specialized knowledge is now simplified with AI that can write code, design interfaces, and implement features using natural language.

However, Singer’s sewing machines didn’t eliminate the need for basic sewing skills and AI tools won’t remove the requirement for basic tech knowledge. What changes is the barrier to entry.

Like Singer paved the way for thousands of at-home tailors, I predict thousands of specialized micro-SaaS products emerging at relatively low costs.

Established SaaS companies face a crucial tipping point. Will they become the Singer of the AI age, adapting their business models to this new reality?

History suggests that when barriers collapse, markets change permanently. We saw it with Kodak losing to digital cameras, Blockbuster missing out on streaming, and AltaVista bypassed by a single input field.

No One Cares

So why not just do it even if it is subpar?

Most people are too focused on themselves to notice you.

Do it for yourself and for those who are actively looking for it.

Be so good they can’t ignore you - Steve Martin

But before that, remember no one cares about your first attempts. Your work is to keep showing up until they do.