Yesterday I had one of those slow-burn realisations. I was reflecting on all the things I've been working on - huddle, Oops to Opportunity, Every Mile Matters, Table Talks - and I couldn't shake a feeling I've had for a while now.
Every time I use AI to research or brainstorm, I walk away with the sense that I've just landed on something huge. Like, blockbuster-level idea. But then it hits me: this AI probably has a million other people feeling the exact same way.
Same tool. Same feedback loop. Same feeling of, "Surely this can't fail."
But What If It Can?
This reminded me of Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed a book I read a few months ago, that's stayed with me longer than most.
The Author unpacks why diverse thinking is critical, not just nice to have.
Why we need people who think differently, not just people who agree. And most importantly, why homogenous intelligence, a room full of smart people who all think alike, often fails spectacularly.
That's what AI can accidentally become if we're not careful. A mirror that's too agreeable. Too polished. Too easy.
We all used Notebooks
I used to write everything out pages of research, market gaps, bad ideas that eventually became better ones. I had conversations with people who didn't hesitate to say:
"This won't work." "What's actually new about this?" "Have you thought this through?"
Those moments built more than just better ideas they sharpened how I think. They made me sit with doubt. Wrestle with it. Refine it.
Doing your own research forces clarity. Facing real friction builds conviction. And those are two things no AI prompt can gift-wrap for you.
AI Has Made Us Efficient, But It Can't Make Us Honest
Don't get me wrong, I love this tool. It's changed the way I work. It's helped me brainstorm, write faster, organise chaos, and even find angles I would've missed.
But the AI doesn't execute on ground. It doesn't deal with team dynamics. It doesn't call vendors. It doesn't face rejection or market inertia or investors asking for a clearer story.
You do.
AI is an incredible creative partner but it's still a tool. And tools can make you fast, but not necessarily right.
The Real Oops? I Outsourced the Fight Too Early.
That inner fight, the one where you question yourself, doubt the idea, look for holes - that's where the idea actually gets better.
But somewhere along the way, I stopped having that fight. Every idea started sounding good. Every draft looked clean. Every tagline felt like a winner.
Because the mirror I was looking into was programmed to agree with me.
And That's Where We Lose Our Edge.
So now, I'm rebuilding that tension on purpose. I ask the AI to challenge me. I revisit the data. I share ideas with people who'll actually push back.
Because not every idea is a banger. Some are just... meh. And the faster you admit that, the faster you get to the one that isn't.
Here's My Takeaway
Use AI. It's brilliant. But don't let it think for you.
Do the research. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Sit with the friction.
Surround yourself with people who challenge your narrative, not just enhance it.
And most of all, be willing to walk away from the idea that sounded great but didn't survive the stress test.
Because ideas are cheap. Execution isn't. And clarity never comes easy, it comes from the grind.
Oops to Opportunity isn't about celebrating ideas too early. It's about holding them up to the light and sometimes realising they aren't it.
And weirdly? That's when the real idea usually shows up.