Tag: Leadership
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Measure Once, Cut Twice?
This is part of The New Cost of Everything, a five-part series on what AI is actually changing — and what it isn’t. Each post stands alone. The argument compounds if you read all five. Start at Post 1 for the foundational framework. Three paths companies are taking with AI and headcount — and why…
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The Hurdle Rate Has Dropped
This is part of The New Cost of Everything, a five-part series on what AI is actually changing and what it isn’t. Each post stands alone but the argument compounds (like interest) if you read all five. Start at Post 1 if you want the foundational framework. Putting my old CPA hat on, there’s a…
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Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Greenfield: The Three Tiers of AI Value
This is part of The New Cost of Everything, a five-part series on what AI is actually changing — and what it isn’t. 1 I spend a lot of time reading about and talking to people about AI. Most of those conversations follow the same arc. Someone describes a tool they’ve started using. They tell…
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The FDE Ships the Product. Someone Must Own the Outcome.
Define First to Deploy Fast The numbers are mind-boggling to me. Job postings for Forward Deployed Engineer roles increased more than 800% between January and September 2025, according to the Financial Times. Salesforce committed to building a team of 1,000 FDEs. The framing from a16z lands because it’s true: “Enterprises buying AI are like your…
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Being a VP: Moving from Doing to Transforming
“We have too many VPs acting like directors — they are overpaid and ineffective for what they produce.” Someone said that to me early in my career. It landed hard. Not because it was harsh, but because I could picture exactly who they meant. The VP role is genuinely ambiguous. Most people who get promoted…
Jeff Beaumont 