I appreciate the note at the bottom of your article about writing without AI assistance. I've been receiving more AI generated responses at work recently and I really don't know how to react? Yesterday a marketing person we are working with sent a 10 question survey to our team to get feedback on our product. It felt ChatGPT-y so I put it into a detector and it came out as a positive. I spent time writing each response and in the email back I mentioned that it took me about 30 minutes to write my answers so it was clear that I didn't use AI myself.
I'm fine with using AI to get through pointless hoops to save time appropriately, I do it myself. But I'm less motivated to work with people that use AI heavily because there's a mismatch in effort. Anyways, here's to an AI free newsletter! I know you'll get more out of the experience of writing yourself and your readers will too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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To your topic, I tend to ask a lot of questions when starting a project. Usually that helps me figure out the story of what we are building, especially when asking someone who is receptive to the curiosity. I've found that others don't respond well to the probing and resort to shorter answers like, "that's how we do it," or "just get it done." When I work with someone like that I tend to stop asking questions. I just say I'll get the job done. If they want yes men, that's what they'll get.
I think it’s an attitude thing? Some clients I work with only go as far as - this is what I want, go build it.
In general with my teams I ask open questions like, “what do you think we should build?” and “is this going how you expected?” But that’s a strategy to get input and help in figuring out what to do next.
It’s probably based on some level of anxiety in the project. There’s no time to think big when something is on fire now.
I appreciate the note at the bottom of your article about writing without AI assistance. I've been receiving more AI generated responses at work recently and I really don't know how to react? Yesterday a marketing person we are working with sent a 10 question survey to our team to get feedback on our product. It felt ChatGPT-y so I put it into a detector and it came out as a positive. I spent time writing each response and in the email back I mentioned that it took me about 30 minutes to write my answers so it was clear that I didn't use AI myself.
I'm fine with using AI to get through pointless hoops to save time appropriately, I do it myself. But I'm less motivated to work with people that use AI heavily because there's a mismatch in effort. Anyways, here's to an AI free newsletter! I know you'll get more out of the experience of writing yourself and your readers will too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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To your topic, I tend to ask a lot of questions when starting a project. Usually that helps me figure out the story of what we are building, especially when asking someone who is receptive to the curiosity. I've found that others don't respond well to the probing and resort to shorter answers like, "that's how we do it," or "just get it done." When I work with someone like that I tend to stop asking questions. I just say I'll get the job done. If they want yes men, that's what they'll get.
Wow. Thanks Ryan for your thoughtful response.
As far as AI generated work. Yes, our spidey senses are fine tuned here. When something is too perfect it loses it's value somehow.
That's very interesting that cultures you've been part of don't like it. Everywhere I've worked it's been celebrated.
Can you remember a time when it was encouraged and how that influenced the end result?
I think it’s an attitude thing? Some clients I work with only go as far as - this is what I want, go build it.
In general with my teams I ask open questions like, “what do you think we should build?” and “is this going how you expected?” But that’s a strategy to get input and help in figuring out what to do next.
It’s probably based on some level of anxiety in the project. There’s no time to think big when something is on fire now.