Idea Surplus Disorder #105
This week: make unseasonable requests, embrace the moat of low status, and rethink goals as limits. Plus: AI as legal coach, smarter CEO transitions, and how Hampton Inn won by being “good enough.”
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Idea Surplus Disorder #104
This week: rough drafts, pricing clarity, and rude questions with polite answers. Plus: curiosity styles, fading happy hours, three types of attention, and why comparing small things can make you better (but big ones can make you miserable).
Idea Surplus Disorder #103
This week in Idea Surplus Disorder: why soft skills are strategic, how “cookie lickers” derail momentum, and what AI can’t replace. Plus: effort vs. achievement, eponymous internet laws, a better way to say no, and rules for writing.
Idea Surplus Disorder #102
This week in Idea Surplus Disorder: The cost of being misunderstood, why recurring meetings kill momentum, how to say no more helpfully, and why AI works better when treated like a teammate. Plus: lurking weasel phrases, toothbrush theories, and seven things every kid needs to hear.
Idea Surplus Disorder #101
This week in Idea Surplus Disorder, we explore how AI is shifting critical thinking, why middle managers must lead change, and how rest, resilience, and resistance connect. Plus: Jevon’s Paradox, the risks of bitterness, and why introverts might want to occasionally act out of character.
Idea Surplus Disorder #100
In this 100th edition, we celebrate six years of sharing ideas, what every project needs, why “more better” isn’t a strategy, how to land better clients, and why imagination is your business’s most underused asset. Plus: fast-built icons, smarter consulting, and wisdom to help you think better.
Idea Surplus Disorder #99.5
Embed leadership traits, rethink innovation roles, and avoid strategy fatigue. Plus, how to cultivate high agency, protect your cognitive edge, and spark better thinking through structure and reflection.
Idea Surplus Disorder #99
Build a Victory Plan, rethink disruption, and learn from failure. Plus, how AI changes solo work, why the second-bravest person matters, and wisdom to sharpen your thinking and spark curiosity.
Idea Surplus Disorder #98
Navigate uncertainty, rethink troubleshooting, and embrace the freedom of constraints. Plus, the hidden risks of AI, smart negotiation questions, a food critic’s manifesto, and insights to spark your curiosity alongside wisdom to sharpen your thinking.
Idea Surplus Disorder #97
Ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and escape mental clutter. Plus, the hidden impact of AI, the future we fail to predict, and creative ideas to help you think better about work.