The New Bottleneck
Lost at Sea: Navigating a World Where Execution Is No Longer the Problem
We can build anything, faster than ever. But what should we build?
Imagine waking up to a world where the biggest challenge isn’t getting things done, but deciding what to do in the first place.
In a landscape flooded with endless opportunities, the most overwhelming question isn’t
‘How?’ it’s ‘Which way?’
AI has freed us from the grind of execution, but in its wake, we’ve been left adrift in a sea of possibilities, unsure of what to focus on next. How do we navigate this new reality?
Shift from Execution to Exploration
For most of history, getting things done was the hard part. Ideas were everywhere, but turning them into reality took time, effort, and expertise. That world is gone. With AI and automation, execution is no longer a barrier , it’s practically effortless. What used to take months now takes weeks, sometimes even days.
Over the past year, I’ve spent countless hours diving into AI-assisted development, Vibe coding, No-code/Low code tools, and even Traditional Full Coding with AI Integration. I’ve built things in days that once took teams of engineers months. It felt like unlocking a superpower until it didn’t.
At first, the speed of creation was exhilarating, almost to the point that it felt like an addiction. I would go through day and night just to finish a fun little project, not feeling tired at all.
AI eliminated the tedious, repetitive parts of work, making it easier than ever to bring ideas to life. But the more I explored, the more I started to feel lost. Instead of struggling with execution, I found myself struggling with direction. The sheer number of possibilities was overwhelming.
We’re living in an era where technology has removed the friction of getting things done, but in doing so, it has created a new kind of problem. What do we focus on when everything is possible? The real challenge now isn’t building it’s knowing what’s worth building.
It’s like being dropped into the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. You have all the tools to sail, but no map to guide you.
Judgment Over Skill (The New Currency)
If execution isn’t the problem anymore, then what is?
It’s Judgment.
The real skill now isn’t how well you can do something, it’s knowing what to do. In a world overflowing with possibilities, the winners aren’t necessarily the most technically skilled. They’re the ones who can filter through the noise, spot opportunities before they’re obvious, and make the right bets before anyone else.
AI can execute, but it can’t decide what’s worth executing. That part is still up to us. The ones who thrive in this new world won’t be the ones who work the hardest or code the fastest. They’ll be the ones who ask the right questions and focus on what truly matters.
The Myth of AI Taking Our Jobs
Almost all of my friends and colleagues near me keep saying
What’s the point? AI is just gonna take your job away
I’ve heard this phrase so much to the point where if I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say this, I’d probably be a millionaire by now.
In the early 20th century, when cars first started gaining popularity, many workers who relied on horse drawn carriages feared for their jobs. Coachmen, stable workers, and blacksmiths thought the rise of automobiles would make their skills obsolete.
In their minds they thought:
What’ll become of us? Coachmen, stable hands, blacksmiths we’ve built our lives around horses and carriages. If these cars take over, what work will we have left?
But the reality was different. The automobile industry didn’t take away jobs it created new ones. Car manufacturing, mechanic shops, dealerships, and infrastructure projects all boomed. New services like car insurance and repair became essential, and even those who lost jobs in the horse industry found new opportunities in the growing car market.
Instead of replacing workers, cars transformed the economy, creating millions of new jobs in ways no one could have predicted. Much like today with AI, people feared job loss, but technology opened up entirely new avenues for work and growth.
It’s no longer about how much work AI will take away, but how much more it enables us to do. The real question isn’t about scarcity it’s about abundance. How far can we push these technologies to unlock new possibilities, industries, and ways of working we’ve yet to imagine?
The Cognitive Load of Too Many Options
But abundance comes with its own problems. When everything is possible, decision making becomes exhausting. The sheer number of choices can be tempting.
It’s as if we’re sailors lost at sea, aware that we’ve lost our way. The key now isn’t returning to homeland, but charting a new course to undiscovered islands.
But Just as sailors have to rely on their navigation skills to move forward, we need to develop mental frameworks that help us filter through the noise. We must learn to prioritize what matters most and set a course for the islands that offer the greatest opportunities, instead of being overwhelmed by the options available right in front of us.
Embracing Uncertainty: The Power of Exploration
A lot of us these days struggle with how to chart a course toward these new, unexplored opportunities and often feel like returning to the familiar, to what we know, might be the safer option.
But the real challenge now isn’t about finding a clear, predictable path it’s about figuring out how to move forward with limited information. In tech, we often dive into new tools, frameworks, or projects without knowing exactly where they will lead.
This uncertainty is a natural part of the process, and it’s where innovation happens. The key isn’t to avoid uncertainty but to become comfortable with it and use it as an advantage.
By embracing the unknown and being willing to test, adjust, and iterate, we open ourselves up to discovering new opportunities that we otherwise wouldn’t have encountered.
