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Is AI Saving Time—Or Just Making Us Busier?
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What should you actually do when AI shows up in your job?
In this episode, we take a grounded look at how product managers can respond when a new era of technology—like AI—starts shifting expectations. Drawing lessons from the past (like the rise of email and automation), we unpack what’s really happening to productivity, why it feels like workloads are increasing, and how to tell whether you’re falling behind or just caught in the noise.
We also share real strategies product managers are using today to stay valuable—like becoming the go-to for new tools, focusing on process improvements, and asking better questions at work.
Listen in to get practical advice that cuts through the hype—and shows you how to stay valuable as your role evolves.
References & Links
PMC Study – “Keeping up with work email after hours” by PubMed Central
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8782676/
Forbes Study – “AI tools and employee workload” (July 2024)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2024/07/23/employees-report-ai-increased-workload/
Economic Policy Institute – Research on productivity vs. wage growth
https://www.epi.org/productivity-pay-gap/
University of California Study – On task switching and cognitive load (23-minute recovery stat)
https://ics.uci.edu/~gmark/chi08-mark.pdf
Hidden Figures (Film Reference)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/
Time Stamped Notes:
From Hospital to Headset: Ryan’s Story
[00:00] Opening and housekeeping - Todd kicks off with a Patreon plug and reviews ask.
[01:03] Health scare - Ryan shares details about his emergency surgery and rare syndrome.
[02:00] Living with cyclic vomiting syndrome - Raising awareness and encouraging empathy.
Is AI Helping—or Just Raising Expectations?
[02:35] Setting the stage - Joe questions whether AI is boosting productivity or shifting expectations.
[03:58] Value versus velocity - The team considers if AI tools truly deliver what they promise.
[04:59] The speed trap - Instant response culture and its impact on mental load.
The Email Trap: A Warning from the Past
[04:12] PMC study on email - Todd references research showing faster comms led to heavier workloads.
[05:11] Expectation inflation - The crew explores how “faster” led to “more.”
[06:10] Slack and Teams - Modern tools continue the trend of reactive work.
When More Content Isn’t Better: A Real Story
[07:08] LA Times video push - Todd tells a cautionary tale from his newsroom days.
[11:00] Productivity vs. value - Making more content didn’t lead to better outcomes.
[12:30] Cognitive overload - Quantity undermined creativity and quality.
AI Tools Are Supposed to Help—So Why Are We Busier?
[13:38] Forbes study - 77% of AI users say their workload increased.
[14:32] Managing AI like an intern - Todd explains the care and feeding required for effective AI use.
[16:30] Prompting matters - Why lazy prompts lead to bad output and more rework.
[17:30] Smart, but exhausting - Comparing AI to the smartest intern you still have to manage.
Lessons from the Automation Era: Staying Relevant in Tough Times
[19:33] The productivity paradox - Productivity rises, but wages and jobs don’t.
[22:05] The middle class squeeze - Historical parallels to today’s shrinking roles.
[24:21] What workers did right - Becoming the go-to, learning new tools, and shifting mindset.
How to Stay Valuable as the Rules Change
[27:34] Six lessons from the past - Todd outlines a checklist for staying relevant.
[28:30] Don’t just check the box - Ryan advises curiosity and experimentation over passive learning.
[30:00] Architect your own processes - Todd encourages product pros to build new ways of working.
[32:25] Watch cognitive load - University of California study on task switching shows 23 minutes lost per shift.
[34:30] Play to human strengths - Better questions, better communication, better decisions.
[35:40] Final reflections - The team wraps with advice: don’t just survive—engage with change on your terms.
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