Methods of the Masters

A blog on the art & science of creative action.

Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Punish Inaction: Why Leaders Must Make AI Adoption Non-Optional

Last week, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke released an internal memo that's been making waves. My take: this isn't just another tech CEO jumping on the AI bandwagon. It's the clearest articulation I've seen of a principle I've been exploring the past 18 months: the greatest risk with AI isn't failure—it's inaction.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Exponential Ideaflow: Why AI Will Surpass Human Creativity (And Why That's OK)

I'm best known for my work on innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. My “shift” toward AI might seem like a radical departure. But it's not a shift—it's an evolution. Having taught and spoken to tens of thousands from ~100 countries in the last two years, I’m more convinced than ever that AI isn't separate from innovation; it's the most profound innovation platform of our lifetime.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Take Your Own Job Before Someone Else Does

AI isn't coming for your job. But someone using AI almost certainly is. So why not take your own job before someone else does? It’s time to prioritize and systematize disrupting ourselves.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

The Most Important AI Role Has Nothing To Do With Code

When organizations think about AI transformation, they immediately focus on technical roles: data scientists, developers, prompt engineers. But what if the most important AI role in your organization requires zero technical expertise?

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Redefine AI: Amplified Intelligence, Augmented Intelligence

There’s only one right answer to the question, “Did AI help with this?” The shift to an AI-first mindset isn't just about saving time. It's about recognizing a fundamental truth: AI isn't a tool you might want to use. It's an amplifier you'd be reckless not to use.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

45 Minutes That Saved 20 Years: The Story of An Unlikely AI Hero

AI is transforming industries. Designers are compressing month-long workflows into minutes. Scientists are using AI to condense years of research into days. But what about decades into minutes? Meet Adam. He doesn’t have a LinkedIn account. But in 45 minutes, he built an AI tool that'll save his organization thousands of days of work every year.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Stop Hiding Your AI Use (And Make Your Team Stop, Too)

Right now, in boardrooms and Slack channels across the globe, leaders are inadvertently creating a culture of AI shame. They're reinforcing the very hesitation they should be helping their teams overcome. It's time for an intervention.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Practice Process Mindfulness

One of the defining contributions the d.school is helping teams ask themselves, “What kind of thinking is appropriate, when?” We call such clarity being “Mindful of Process.” And it can seem like semantics until you realize we need to show up in different ways.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Catalyze AI Success: The Power of Dedicated Innovation Capacity

In the past year, I've witnessed a fascinating phenomenon across organizations embracing GenAI. Two "identical twins" in the AI race, similar in their approach to AI adoption -- engaged senior leadership, extensive training, numerous opportunities for AI integration -- whose outcomes couldn't be more different.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Scrape Your Knees: Why Falling is Essential to AI Mastery

Most folks’ biggest mistake in collaborating with AI is expecting to get things perfect right out of the gate. But learning to use AI is just like any other motor skill: you’ve got to fall in order to create new neural pathways. Here, I share some insights on falling forward, productively.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Seek Inspiration to Spark Innovation

Rather than waiting around for lightning to strike, take a more proactive approach. You can provoke your own imagination. One of the most effective, powerful, and fun tools we have created for such self-provocation missions is what we call “Analogous Exploration.”

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Unlock AI's Potential: Your Journey from Fear to Fun

It’s been 21 months since my book Ideaflow was published, and unexpectedly — catalyzed by the launch of ChatGPT just one month later — the period that many authors described as a victory-lap book tour was transformed into a front-row education in a thrilling new world, reshaping not just how I work, but how I think.

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