\u201cPeople say that what we\u2019re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s what we\u2019re really seeking. I think that what we\u2019re seeking is an experience of being alive.\u201d\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Joseph Campbell.<\/p>\n
In the long run, we\u2019re all dead.<\/p>\n
That is the grounding reality of Oliver Burkeman\u2019s book,\u00a0Four Thousand Weeks<\/a>. The title represents the average lifespan of a human being. If you\u2019re lucky and hit 90, you get closer to 4,700 weeks. <\/p>\n It\u2019s no wonder the longevity movement has taken off; the time we have on this earth, in Burkeman\u2019s words, feels \u201cabsurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short\u201d.<\/p>\n In his book, Burkeman describes life on the productivity conveyor belt: \u201cWe\u2019re obsessed with our overfilled inbox and lengthening to-do lists, haunted by the guilty feeling that we ought to be getting more done or different things done, or both.\u201d<\/p>\n He notes a vicious paradox: \u201cWhen you get tremendously efficient at answering emails, all that happens is that you get much more email.\u201d By focusing entirely on velocity, are we actually getting the\u00a0right\u00a0things done, or just\u00a0more\u00a0things?<\/p>\n \tGet the best of Startup Daily straight to your inbox<\/p>\n \n Want to know the latest in startup news? Subscribe to our daily news and analysis coverage on what\u2019s happening to ANZ startups, investors and the broader ecosystem. And best of all, it’s FREE! <\/p>\n By continuing, you agree to our\u00a0Terms & Conditions<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The \u201cWhy\u201d vs. the \u201cHow\u201d<\/p>\n In the age of AI, we are swimming in tools designed to maximise throughput; processing invoices instantly, automating code, and streamlining workflows. But to what end?<\/p>\n At a recent VC networking event, the conversation shifted towards hiring \u2013 the observation from some being that job losses weren\u2019t the issue, the issue was not being able to hire quick enough. Hiring and onboarding are taking too long. What AI platforms are people using to automate the process?<\/p>\n It\u2019s a valid operational pain point, but it skips right past the crucial question: What are we actually optimising for? If we use AI to screen, interview, assess and onboard\u00a0 candidates, two things happen. <\/p>\n First, candidates will inevitably learn to game the algorithms. <\/p>\n Second, and more dangerously, we flatten nuance. <\/p>\n My definition of a great hire and your definition require entirely different corporate DNA. <\/p>\n When you outsource that judgment to a standardised model, you lose alignment. By optimising purely for hiring speed, you risk rapidly scaling a culture that doesn\u2019t actually fit your vision.<\/p>\n In the startup ecosystem, this forces an existential question for founders and backers alike: What is actually worth building? What is worth funding?<\/p>\n Many voices in the market would argue, \u201cJust chase the capital, scale the numbers, and worry about the impact later.\u201d But what if later never comes? What if your 4,000 weeks get cut short?<\/p>\n For investors, the playbook seems to increasingly be simplified to just accumulating wealth indefinitely. When Elon Musk passed the historic $1 trillion mark following the SpaceX IPO last month, it highlighted a jarring mathematical reality: if he spent $1 million a day, he would need roughly 35 lifetimes to get through his fortune.<\/p>\n The world looks at that metric and declares him the most successful person on earth. Would you?<\/p>\n Stepping off the conveyor belt<\/p>\n If AI is handling the \u201chow\u201d of productivity, humans are left entirely responsible for the \u201cwhy.\u201d<\/p>\n True leadership\u00a0today\u00a0isn\u2019t about running faster on a conveyor belt someone else built.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about having the conviction to build and fund things that genuinely matter. There is never a perfect time to pivot toward the hard, meaningful problems. <\/p>\n But if you only have a few thousand weeks left on the clock, how do you want to spend your remaining weeks?<\/p>\n