Depth vs Surface Area
AI is not always the solution
Every day, we try to do as much as possible in our waking hours. Many of us have checklists or use project management tools. The goal is to hit deadlines and check boxes. Our focus is on doing more, not going deeper.
While this is not new, it is exacerbated by AI. We use LLMs and agents to get our work done faster, so we can do more and check more boxes, sooner. Even if you don’t want to, your employer is either asking you to or laying off people around you, which makes you feel like you need to. But this is exactly the opposite of what you should be doing right now.
Undoubtedly, AI is part of our working and personal futures. It can and will unlock new ways to work. But doing more is not the right approach. Going deeper is.
While checking boxes does allow us to get a dopamine hit, that type of stimulation is short and shallow. It also looks great to show you have completed “x” more projects this quarter than last, but volume is not an indicator of success. Quality will always trump this.
The solution is not to ditch AI and do things slowly. While that might work for some, it will not work for most. The solution is to leverage AI for the monotonous, so you can do the things that allow you to go deep.
Depth
When I say depth, I mean deeper thinking, solving complicated problems, and writing meaningful pieces. Generally speaking, producing impactful work. Not sending emails or posting content to social media.
AI promises that it can do research, write articles, and even make video. But when offloading this type of work to a robot, we don’t get to do this work. To be crystal clear, we need to do this type of work.
We need the diversity of small dopamine hits and slow rewards. The slow rewards can only be reaped when we spend hours, days, or months doing the hard shit. Humans are made to do the hard work, so don’t deprive yourself of it just because a robot can do it too. Checking their work is not enough. You have to fight through it.
After completing research, writing a complex article, or editing a video, you will feel a deep relief. That is not a bad relief. That is a form of joy and fulfillment. When living in a world where everything is easier and can be offloaded to a tool or robot, doing the hard and painstaking work is exactly what we need.
Surface Area
We all need to do more. We need to get things done faster. It’s not optional. I get that. I’m not advocating for doing less. While I do think that is the actual solution, I know it’s not realistic. Instead, I’m advocating that you be selective. Surface area is the definition of that: doing more, faster. While AI is perfect for this, you have to be intentional and decisive when choosing between the two.
Our energy and motivation are seasonal. Some days and months, we are more motivated to do one thing over another. That is ok. Own it. This is perfect for leveraging surface area over depth. If you are not in the zone to go deep on a topic and just doing the thing is enough, focusing on surface area is perfect. Leverage an LLM or agent to get the work done, or mostly done. Then spend some time massaging it.
Additionally, there are types of work that you should never go deep on. They vary for everyone. You know what they are. They are the things that exhaust you. The things you never feel fulfilled doing. They are the tasks that keep you in bed or at lunch longer than you should be. These are the exact use case for surface area. Offload that work to AI, an automation, or a repeatable workflow. Don’t expend the energy that can be used for the things that matter to you.
You might be thinking that I am exclusively talking about work and AI. I am not. Simply, anything that drains you can be systematized to the most surface level. We need the balance of deep, hard experiences and shallow, easy ones. If you are only doing one or the other, you will feel either exhausted or unfulfilled, maybe even both. Identifying the things that are hard but good for you, or easy and can be offloaded, is essential.
The concept of depth vs surface area will expose what can be automated, but it will also expose what should be stopped entirely. This might be a job, a hobby, or a relationship. You might leverage AI or implement more analog rituals. However you leverage it, it will expose what energizes you and what does not. We can all use more energy, and that energy should come from the things that matter most to you.
This week’s edition of The Parentheticals is short, but I hope it makes you think.