POPCORN Brain

As Peter Drucker observed: "There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."

When my mentor, Professor Jim Windle a direct protégé of W. Edwards Deming first scribbled this quote in red ink on my notebook during office hours he added: “Peter understands elimination. Deming understands why elimination requires systemic rigor. Master both, or drown in noise.”

As I look back on this, its true to the present day noise around us, your task isn’t to tame the digital storm, but to build an architecture where calm prevails.

Every thing that is new was some thing old.

The Problem: AI, Cognitive Overload, and the Erosion of Strategic Capacity

Popcorn Brain is the neurological consequence of systems that prioritize reactivity over intentionality.

Understanding the Threat: Popcorn Brain in Action

• Symptoms: Struggling to read a full article, constantly checking your phone, or feeling mentally drained? These are signs your brain is being rewired by rapid context-switching, driven by social media and device overuse.

• Impact: Research shows attention spans have plummeted from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds today, draining mental energy and triggering stress hormones.

• Cause: The engineered design of social media real-time notifications, addictive algorithms, and quick dopamine hits mimics addiction patterns, eroding your capacity for deep concentration.

As an entrepreneur, this fragmentation jeopardizes your ability to innovate, manage teams, and achieve long-term goals.

This is a modern day definition. But as I look back, this is a systems issue and has been for ages.

• Drucker’s View: He emphasized that knowledge workers must define their own tasks, manage themselves, and decide what to contribute, since they are not programmed by machines or rigid processes

• Deming’s Data: Deming’s philosophy focused on the importance of understanding and managing variation (imagine present day emails, alerts, AI noise) within systems, emphasizing that most variation is common cause (inherent to the process) rather than special cause (due to an unusual event). He warned that failing to distinguish between these types of variation and overreacting to normal fluctuations can lead to increased instability and inefficiency in systems.

Don’t mistake this for a sermon on digital detox. This is about strategic depth the kind Drucker forged, It’s also about systems Deming engineered to transform ruins into economic miracles. And it’s the red pen Professor Windle wielded, teaching us that true focus isn’t found in silencing noise, but in architecting immunity to distraction.

Don’t just think about it as shutting down your phones its about having the time to have real experiences. Think about diving deeper. Focus is your most valuable asset protect it with Drucker’s result-oriented discipline and Deming’s systemic wisdom. Start today by setting one boundary and tracking its impact. This is not about focus apps or controls on your phone, but instead pick up the works of these two brilliant thought leaders and my professors take on a hard life, and give your self an un fair advantage to win.

* Ever Grateful: Memoirs of How Leveraged Experiences and Helping Hands Led to Career Success Jim L. Windle (T'63, MS T'64, PhD T'69) Ever Grateful is intended to give hope: that where we start in life - childhood poverty and early educational setbacks - need not be where we end if we have a strong desire to rise above our plight. These Memoirs serve as a compass for others to find their own path: that by leveraging their experiences, and with the influence and assistance from many helping hands, a successful career can continually evolve.

The Stoic’s Game

Stoicism teaches: Clarity of purpose is non-negotiable.

Winners reveal the cost of victory not just tactics. Their "game" demands specific sacrifices: time, values, peace, or integrity. What appears as success may be spiritual bankruptcy or some thing else.

For entrepreneurs, this is practical philosophy:

1. Study objectively → Observe the trade-offs (sleepless nights, ethical compromises, isolation).

2. Judge by your nature (Stoic "know thyself") → Does their version of "winning" align with your inner citadel?

3. Choose your arena wisely → No victory is worthwhile if it forces you to betray your reason or character (arete).

As Seneca warned: "There is no favorable wind for the sailor who doesn’t know where he’s going." If the winner’s life feels like a prison to your soul their game isn’t yours to play. Focus on what you want, vs whose life you want.

Build your own game. Define your own victory.
The world needs entrepreneurs who win without losing themselves.

An Underrated Lever: The 3pm State Change.

Biology dictates a low point around 3pm. It’s prime time for dwindling energy, creeping doubt, and sinking agency a true breeding ground for the afternoon doom loop. Yet we let it run course every day at 3pm…

Break it. Design a deliberate 3pm ritual.

Take just 10 minutes. Shift your state: Walk for light. Snack for steady fuel. Breathe deeply to reset. (Science backs all three).

This small, intentional pivot cuts through the fog. You’ll reclaim focus, spark unexpected joy, and power through the rest of your day. Happier and more productive starts here.

Your move: Set the alarm. Pick one ritual. Own 3pm.

Real boring work may be the only work LLMs cant do

A New paper argues GPT is a General Purpose Technology. One of those rare inventions that touch most work. The median job has 15% of their work exposed to LLMs. 19% of all US workers have half their work affected. In fact, the only jobs not exposed are

If you don't own a laptop, don't code, struggle with prompts, or simply aren't interested in tech don't panic. The key is to focus on the professions listed above those where the uniquely human touch remains irreplaceable.

To all the new graduates: be wary of chasing the illusion that the grass is always greener in tech. Often, that green is just fertilized by the BS of others. Choose your path wisely. There are many fulfilling, AI-resilient careers out there. Pick one that aligns with your strengths and passions, and you'll build a future far safer from AI disruption. Or you could build one to augment, the choice is yours.

This is the Only List you should be watching this weekend. Time is on your side always. Till you don’t want it to be.

I bet you’ve seen many such lists. But what have you done about it? Will you change your outcomes by not blaming age to get ahead?

Got an email this morning I didn't expect.

Some one I deeply respect (via the things they’ve done to grow their business) in a completely offline business, shared that he's been reading this newsletter. And using it to frame ideas for his teams. Pretty good outcome for a Saturday.

It hit me hard: You truly never know who's paying attention.

We build, write, and share often feeling like we're working in a vacuum. Metrics can be low. Engagement quiet. Doubt creeps in: "Does this even matter?"

This was a powerful jolt: Impact is often invisible until it surfaces and it surfaces when you are persistent.

• That piece you almost didn't publish? Someone needed it.

• That idea you shared? It might be sparking discussions in rooms you're not in.

• Your unique perspective? It could resonate precisely with people you admire.

Keep showing up. Keep shipping your work. Keep sharing authentically.

Do it for yourself first. But do it knowing this: Your ripples travel further than you see. Someone you wish to interact with or learn from, might be connecting the dots right now.

You never know who's reading. Keep going. That is surefire way to monetize your time.

In the world of AI agents, master this thought “b2b is understanding budgets. b2c is understanding behavior” build for this!

Bonus! Thought of the week

If you must invest the weekend to learn more cool things to do with AI, heres where to find the best of the creators and their top tweets.

Contrarian Take: