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I went running with my 10-year-old son. Since I’m about twice his size, I can run a lot faster than him. So when we “run” together, he usually grabs his bike. Suddenly, I’m the slow one. He can move much faster than I can with a lot less energy spent.

Steve Jobs made famous the idea that a computer is like a bicycle for your mind.

Here’s a short clip of him talking about the concept:

As I struggled to keep up with my son I realized how much this applies not just to a computer, but to any tool a person, team, or organization can use to make faster progress.

Those tools could be mental modals, technology, culture (ways of working), skills, or anything that gives you more progress with less work. This is why small organizations can grow and overtake large ones. This is one reason some people seem to get so much more done than others. They use better tools.

What tools do you use and how are they working for you? How often are you considering new tools? Have you seen someone making great progress and asked them about their tools?

Patterns

🚴‍♀️ A bicycle for your mind