Philosophy Mondays: Human-AI Collaboration
Today's Philosophy Monday is an important interlude. I want to reveal that I have not been writing the posts in this series entirely by myself. Instead I have been working with Claude, not just for the graphic illustrations, but also for the text. My method has been to write a rough draft and then ask Claude for improvement suggestions. I will expand this collaboration to other intelligences going forward, including open source models such as Llama and DeepSeek. I will also explore other moda...
Intent-based Collaboration Environments
AI Native IDEs for Code, Engineering, Science
Web3/Crypto: Why Bother?
One thing that keeps surprising me is how quite a few people see absolutely nothing redeeming in web3 (née crypto). Maybe this is their genuine belief. Maybe it is a reaction to the extreme boosterism of some proponents who present web3 as bringing about a libertarian nirvana. From early on I have tried to provide a more rounded perspective, pointing to both the good and the bad that can come from it as in my talks at the Blockstack Summits. Today, however, I want to attempt to provide a coge...
Philosophy Mondays: Human-AI Collaboration
Today's Philosophy Monday is an important interlude. I want to reveal that I have not been writing the posts in this series entirely by myself. Instead I have been working with Claude, not just for the graphic illustrations, but also for the text. My method has been to write a rough draft and then ask Claude for improvement suggestions. I will expand this collaboration to other intelligences going forward, including open source models such as Llama and DeepSeek. I will also explore other moda...
Intent-based Collaboration Environments
AI Native IDEs for Code, Engineering, Science
Web3/Crypto: Why Bother?
One thing that keeps surprising me is how quite a few people see absolutely nothing redeeming in web3 (née crypto). Maybe this is their genuine belief. Maybe it is a reaction to the extreme boosterism of some proponents who present web3 as bringing about a libertarian nirvana. From early on I have tried to provide a more rounded perspective, pointing to both the good and the bad that can come from it as in my talks at the Blockstack Summits. Today, however, I want to attempt to provide a coge...
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Share Dialog
Share Dialog
I am often surprised by how many people know what they want and yet fail to ask for it at the crucial moment (or for that matter altogether). This occurs in many different contexts. Sales people who can’t close because they don’t ask for the order. Employees who are unhappy with their role or compensation yet never ask for it to change. Business partnerships that are forever stuck at the negotiating phase. This is a recipe for slow failure which is the worst kind of failure. I am not suggesting that everyone always immediately put their ask on the table - that would mostly be rude. But if you never do, you will never get an answer. And the likelihood that the other party will correctly guess what you want and then just offer it approaches zero. So make sure to ask for it. In most cases you will learn something useful even if the answer is “no” (e.g., I am wasting my time on this customer).
I am often surprised by how many people know what they want and yet fail to ask for it at the crucial moment (or for that matter altogether). This occurs in many different contexts. Sales people who can’t close because they don’t ask for the order. Employees who are unhappy with their role or compensation yet never ask for it to change. Business partnerships that are forever stuck at the negotiating phase. This is a recipe for slow failure which is the worst kind of failure. I am not suggesting that everyone always immediately put their ask on the table - that would mostly be rude. But if you never do, you will never get an answer. And the likelihood that the other party will correctly guess what you want and then just offer it approaches zero. So make sure to ask for it. In most cases you will learn something useful even if the answer is “no” (e.g., I am wasting my time on this customer).
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