Management in the age of AI

Management in the age of AI
4 minutes by Stay SaaSy

AI tools have made building faster and cheaper, but that raises the bar for managers significantly. Managers now need to build things themselves, set higher expectations, and keep teams focused on real business outcomes. Budget control matters more as AI pricing shifts to usage-based models. Hire carefully, because the gap between great and mediocre people has never been larger.

How Tech Leaders Make Accessibility a Business Advantage
sponsored by Level Access

93% of developers say digital accessibility is a competitive advantage, but many still aren’t building it in from the start. Explore findings from our survey of 1,600 professionals+ for deeper insight on how accessible products fuel business success. Plus, discover the tools and strategies teams are using to deliver inclusive experiences at velocity.

The reason most people are terrible communicators and how to fix it
13 minutes by Steve Huynh

Most people explain things bottom-up, starting with background and building to the point. But listeners need the conclusion first. Steve suggests three techniques to fix this: lead with your main point before any context, give people only what they need for the task at hand, and build understanding one layer at a time starting from what they already know. Together, these help you sound clearer and more confident without leaving anything important out.

The strategy lifecycle and adoption
7 minutes by Aleix Morgadas

Aleix argues that strategies follow a lifecycle, moving from creation to adoption to becoming outdated. He suggests getting people involved early, before a strategy is approved, speeds up adoption and execution. Adoption itself moves through stages: awareness, understanding, buy-in, commitment, and advocacy. When a strategy succeeds, it can become culture, which is powerful but also creates resistance to future change.

Seeing everything, understanding nothing
3 minutes by John Cutler

AI is changing how leaders think about context and control. It may seem that more information brings clarity, but real understanding comes from interaction, not just shared data. Context is built through dialogue, not simply combined. John points out that good leadership, like context design, focuses on shaping interactions where meaning develops, rather than just passing along information. Different decisions require different kinds of context.

Productivity and Entropy
8 minutes by Subbu Allamaraju

AI can boost software productivity, but it also increases complexity and entropy. Factors like path dependence, competing goals, delayed feedback, and incomplete understanding make systems harder to manage over time. Without strong engineering practices, systems may drift into failure, limiting long-term gains despite short-term productivity improvements.

And the most popular article from the last issue was:

• How do you know if you’re a good leader?