The flag on the horizon of ai productivity gains

All those promised productivity gains from AI you read in newsletters — 8%, 20%, even more — they’re exciting and very good marketing. And AI will certainly play a huge role in making work faster and smarter. I am not only a believer but I am also certain. But I wonder: how much of those gains come from the preparation for AI itself? The process of mapping workflows, questioning inefficiencies, and streamlining tasks before you bring AI into the picture can unlock massive improvements on its own. Maybe businesses are seeing productivity gains not just from AI, but from the strategic cleanup AI forces us to do. That mindset shift — to organize, clarify, and simplify — could be a hidden bonus in those AI success stories and maybe even more important that the assistants themselves for now?