Think 10x & 10%

Everywhere you look, AI is being positioned as the answer to growth.

That framing is incomplete.

In practice, AI creates two very different paths forward. One optimises. The other expands.

You could think of it as 10% vs 10x.

10% thinking compresses cost, time, friction.
10x thinking expands ambition, possibility, and the shape of the business itself.

Same company. Very different futures. Many organisations treat these as enemies. A trade-off. Or a sequence.“We’ll invest in the 10x once we’ve fixed the 10%.” That logic no longer holds. In fact, it's dangerous.

These aren’t alternatives. They’re twin engines. And they now need to run at the same time. Lean only into optimisation, and you’ll be efficient but stale. Lean only into ambition, and you’ll be interesting but niche.

True growth feels like a balancing act. Fixing the business you have, while building the one you want. So we need both. Civilisation depends on it.