Mapping the path to outcome

"The map is not the territory" - Alfred Korzybski

The map is not the territory. But if you're building an AI system without even bothering to sketch the map, you're just wandering around with a laptop and good intentions.

The path to outcome

We keep mistaking output for outcome. We launch a model, ship some dashboards, and wonder why nothing meaningful changes. That’s because the system isn’t a product, it’s a path. A journey. One that needs to be drawn out clearly, with the outcome (not the deliverables) guiding every step.

Start with the destination

Most teams start from here and try to build their way toward some kind of future state, usually with an armful of assumptions, a vague KPI, and an itch to get started. But you’re not building a conveyor belt. You’re building a path to an outcome. And that’s a different beast.

This isn’t a dev sprint. It’s a map.

So: draw it. Literally.

Whiteboard. Miro. FigJam. Mural. A napkin and a pen. Whatever. On the far right of your canvas, define the outcome, the real one. Not “more leads” or “automated emails”, but “we make better business decisions because customer signals are clear and surfaced in real time”. Then work backwards.

What needs to be true?

This is the magic question:

Keep asking it at every step, working in reverse.

• If the outcome is “smart business decisions,” then what needs to be true?
• “PMs need a dashboard with clear signal.” Okay, what needs to be true for that?
• “There needs to be a model that surfaces relevant behaviour patterns.” Cool. What’s true for that?

Soon you’re unearthing dependencies, missing data, awkward team silos, and maybe realising that the Microsoft 365 subscription is a blocker, rather than an enabler.

This isn't project management. It's outcome choreography. And AI is just one set of capabilities in that system.

AI isn’t a tool, it’s a set of capabilities

Too many AI projects fail not because the models are bad, but because no one mapped the terrain. When you treat AI like the output, not the enabler, you end up with dashboards that gather dust and Slackbots that get muted.

Treat the system as a pathway. One that evolves, loops back, branches. A system that exists to get you from here to there. And one that starts with the end, not beginning.

Classified Intel

Some interesting stuff I discovered on my adventures.

Shit's Gonna Get So Fucking Weird and Terrible - Sonder Uncertainly
An uncomfortably honest field guide to the deeply bizarre now-now-soon.

Shit’s Gonna Get So Fucking Weird and Terrible

(An uncomfortably honest field guide to the deeply bizarre now-now-soon)

Sonder UncertainlyUncertain Eric

This essay delves into the rapidly changing digital landscape, exploring how AI and synthetic systems are reshaping human experiences and societal structures. It's a thought-provoking read for those interested in the philosophical and emotional implications of our tech-driven future.

The Way of Code - Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin brings ancient wisdom to the modern age in The Way of Code, a meditation on the art and science of vibe coding.

Rick Rubin | The Way of Code: The Timeless Art of Vibe Coding

Rick Rubin brings ancient wisdom to the modern age in The Way of Code, a meditation on the art and science of vibe coding. With Claude by Anthropic, the Grammy-award winning producer and author of The Creative Act turns philosophy into practice with artifacts that can be creatively modified with AI.

The Way of CodeRick Rubin and Anthropic

This project merges ancient philosophical insights with modern coding practices, offering a unique perspective on how intuition and creativity can inform technological development. It's an inspiring resource for developers and thinkers seeking a more holistic approach to coding.

The Prompt Theory
4 minutes straight of Google Veo Prompts - Philosophical weirdness

An AI video experiment from Putchuon. Is free will an illusion? This video explores the complex idea of "prompt theory," and whether our decisions are actually predetermined by a higher power. Examining arguments from philosophy and theology, it questions our agency and freedom in the face of determinism and decision making.

The Promise and Warning of Truth Terminal - TechCrunch
An exploration of Truth Terminal, the AI bot that secured $50,000 in bitcoin from Marc Andreessen.

The promise and warning of Truth Terminal, the AI bot that secured $50,000 in bitcoin from Marc Andreessen | TechCrunch

“I think the most ironic way the world could end would be if someone makes a memecoin about a man’s stretched anus and it brings about the singularity.”

TechCrunchRebecca Bellan

6 months old, but worth a look in light of the other weirdness discovered this week. This article examines the curious case of Truth Terminal, an AI chatbot that not only engaged in provocative online behaviour but also influenced cryptocurrency markets and sparked discussions about AI alignment and autonomy. It's a compelling case study on the unforeseen consequences of AI interacting with human systems.