Jul 29, 2025

The AI Shortcut

Casual conversations of my friends working in software industry, either in design, engineering or marketing; all of them feel a push to use AI in pursuit of productivity gains.

Most probably you too.

Before we felt the push:
- Time budget for a project: 2 weeks
- Time took for 75% completion: 1 week
- Time took for 95% completion: another 1 week

After the AI push:
- Time budget for a project: 1 week
- Time took for 75% completion: 2 days
- Time took for 95% completion: 1.5 weeks

Rest of 5% is ever-existing spillovers irrespective of AI use.

Observations:
- That 75% completion, has certainly become a joy to do.
- Growing magic bullet fallacy about AI systems within mid-management.
- Almost every one skips struggle from 75% to 95%

Maybe the joy is in those first leaps, the spark of creation. But I wonder, without the grit from 75% to 95%, are we missing a deeper learning? 
Originally published on HEY World