Value is myth
We orchestrate our lives around myths of all sizes. Our chosen belief systems, hierarchical structures, punishments and rewards — even our delineation between good and evil stems from myth.
Myth is not a concept to be mocked, it’s vitally important to our society’s continued function. However, I see an alarming trend where positions of power attempt to apply their own universal or objective truth to the concept of value.
But value isn’t a concrete concept. Not in and of itself, and not across categories.
Value is not a commodity — it’s the result of a process. And even then, depending on perspective that process should be valued differently.
Think about the distinction between news and marketing: news is something someone else doesn’t want to share and marketing is something you don’t particularly care to hear.
Its obvious that news is the more valuable information type, but things turn on their head when the economic-expansion zealots of corporate America (including the exported variety) get involved in that proposition.
After all, how could we consistently, without fail, achieve value in countless industries with unique and specific OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)? And how could those results all possibly carry an intrinsic value?
Results-focused action pursues optimal outcomes with minimal input. Do it at scale and that’s enterprise in a nutshell. And as far as results go, there’s nothing sweeter than those three little letters: ARR—Annual Recurring Revenue.
It’s as good as guaranteed money in the bank. But to achieve and retain your org’s ARR, it takes mountains of OKRs, and with that comes overhead. And yes, even still, most ventures’ overhead continues to require human capital to achieve those OKRs.
These humans are a noisy bunch, aren’t they? Demanding a quality of living that their wage seems incapable of allowing. Don’t they know their replacements are premiering in flashy tech demos almost weekly?
$90k for an embodied AI-vision functional worker? Like, just $90k once? Not every year? No sick time, no bereavement! No vacations! No OSHA insurance! Nobody trying to sleep with my wife at the company picnic!!
Can I finance a few?
Sold.
Note: Unique AI-generated phrases are presented as bold and italic.
In the industrial age, magnates like Henry Ford championed the assembly line, a marvel of streamlined productivity. Yet, even as the Model T rolled off factory floors, artists and craftsmen mourned the loss of individual creativity and eulogized the soul of the craft. The process, they argued, held intrinsic value—each brushstroke, each hammer blow, an expression of human spirit.
Just as painters discredit photography, today's creatives view AI with derision. Let’s not forget, the term Impressionism began as a slur—an insult hurled at those who dared to deviate from realism. Actually, Capitalism was coined as a derogatory term as well… RIP Karl.
If the process is what lights your fire, and the shadows from that flame are your creation upon your chosen medium, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about with Generative AI. Van Gogh’s swirling skies, Pollock’s chaotic splashes—they are celebrations of the process, not just the end result.
If instead you desire the results of your actions to net you more than the mere value of your process… well, you’re on shaky ground with AI. Deciding to mislabel any resulting product as the value of a process wrecks our general conception of worth. Commoditized creativity mistakes the artifact as the artistry itself.
AI now democratizes output that is good enough. And capitalism’s creative needs only extend to good enough. Those needs now satisfied via a friendly conversational interface.
And, if we’re being honest with ourselves, we know we’re feeding a machine that ingests good enough and outputs a blazingly ironic acronym: MVP. The Minimum Viable Product.
All media is out to satiate spent attention while directing those satiated towards participating in like-for-like sales. That’s the old business model before streaming and subscriptions collectively gripped the industry for a decade. But I believe that old feature will now be supercharged by GenAI’s ability to generate contextualized content for each user.
Curveball Tangent: There was only one ad that I felt truly transcended the sale of a product. It was called Sheet Metal for the car company Saturn (RIP). No car appeared in the ad, just people. Families holding flashlights waisthigh at dusk as headlights and tail lights, trotting down the freeways and city streets.
It was a poignant reminder that products serve people, not the other way around.
Death and Rebirth of the Creative Professional
So, let die the idea of a comfortable life conjuring puppy-monkey babies, insurance geckos, energized bunnies, Cheeto-eating cheetahs, cap’n’s of crunch, et al… Hell, every product influencer may just as well be eulogized as a brief fever dream of an ailing culture.
Can you hear me now?
We’re still wrapped in a system where time is money and money is required to have a relatively good stretch of time. So I see how this reads as damnation to professional creatives.
Clearly, I’m not the only one that sees the blatant analogies of fresh tech hydraulically squeezing all utility out of perfectly functional instruments and creative equipment.
Metaphors aside, capitalism and Big Tech are actively compressing experience into commodity. And AI will squash the talent needed to express ideas to any medium.
But remember, as AI will surely take most economic utility out of selling the craft, it will not steal the process of creation. It’s like the upheaval during the Renaissance when the printing press threatened scribes, yet books flourished and literacy soared. The press didn't kill the story; it amplified it.
AI will give more perspectives the ability to shine in a manner deserving of attention. Talent used to be the beacon for creativity, now it’s lived experience and willingness to share.
It can handle the mundane, the repetitive, leaving us free to explore the profound, the innovative. So, let the enterprises chase their ARR. Let AI churn out the good enough.
The artists have starved and survived throughout history. It’s time we get comfortable with discomfort yet again. There’s much the world needs from us beyond value creation and unrelenting growth of any bottom line.
The market once again forces creatives to reclaim the joy of the process, crafting value that transcends mere results.
Given the new fractal interface for conversation, it’s become increasingly difficult to give a linear account of creation. Here’s the transcript from the most useful turns:
Help me expand this partial draft with a cleaner juxtaposition between the business owners and the creative spirit. Please feel free to dig into history to find parallels as well:
Title: Process remains; value is myth
Results-focused action pursues optimal out for minimal in at scale. That’s enterprise for you. Nothing sweeter than those three little letters ARR. Annual Recurring Revenue. That’s as good as money in the bank. But to achieve and retain your ARR, that takes capital. And yes, still human capital.
These humans are a noisy bunch, demanding a quality of living their wage seems incapable of reaching. Don’t they know their replacements are premiering in flashy tech demos almost weekly? $90k for an ai-vision driven functional worker? Like, $90k once? No sick time, no bereavement, no sleep! No sick days! No OSHA insurance! No one trying to sleep with my wife at the company picnic?!
Can I finance a few?
Sold.
Process-bliss is the value in creation itself, not the commoditized cost, the value.
Painters decried photography. Impressionism began as a slur! Actually, capitalism did too… RIP Karl.
If the process is what lights your fire, and the shadows from that flame are your creation upon your medium, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about with AI.
If the results of your actions are to gain more than the value of your process, then you’re on shaky ground with AI.
The result being mislabeled as the value has wrecked our conception of worth in general.
What is happening is a democratization of good enough.
There was only one ever ad that I felt transcended the sale of a product. It was called Sheet Metal by the car company Saturn (RIP). No car appeared in the ad, just people, families holding flashlights as headlights and tail lights.
So, the idea of living a comfortable life conjuring puppy monkey babies, the Geico gecko, Energizer bunny… Hell, even the entire category of product influencer is now only to be imagined – dreamed. Can you hear me now?
We’re still wrapped in a system where time is money and money is required to have a relatively good stretch of time. So I can see how this reads as a eulogy to professional creatives.
And I felt the pain when watching Apple hydraulically press the utility out of perfectly functional instruments and creative equipment. Metaphors aside, painting is still a thing.
While AI may take most economic utility out of the craft, it will not steal the process of creation.
Let's expand the draft by drawing a clearer line between the business-oriented focus on results and the creative spirit's devotion to the process, while incorporating historical references to highlight the tension and synergy between these perspectives.
Title: Process remains; value is myth
Results-focused action pursues optimal outcomes with minimal input at scale. That’s enterprise for you. Nothing sweeter than those three little letters ARR—Annual Recurring Revenue. It’s as good as money in the bank. But to achieve and retain your ARR, it takes capital. And yes, still human capital.
These humans are a noisy bunch, demanding a quality of living their wage seems incapable of reaching. Don’t they know their replacements are premiering in flashy tech demos almost weekly? $90k for an AI-vision driven functional worker? Like, $90k once? No sick time, no bereavement, no sleep! No sick days! No OSHA insurance! No one trying to sleep with my wife at the company picnic?! Can I finance a few? Sold.
The Enterprise of the Past and the Artistic Revolt
In the industrial age, the drive for efficiency saw business magnates like Henry Ford championing the assembly line, a marvel of streamlined productivity. Yet, even as the Model T rolled off factory floors, artists and craftsmen bemoaned the loss of individual creativity and the soul of the craft. The process, they argued, held intrinsic value—each brushstroke, each hammer blow, an expression of human spirit.
Just as painters decried photography, seeing it as a threat to their art, today's creatives view AI with a mix of suspicion and intrigue. Impressionism, after all, began as a slur—an insult hurled at those who dared to deviate from realism. And capitalism? Karl Marx might sigh if he saw how his critiques have become an ironic testament to the system’s resilience and adaptability.
Process Over Product: The Eternal Struggle
If the process is what lights your fire, and the shadows from that flame are your creation upon your medium, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about with AI. Van Gogh’s swirling skies, Pollock’s chaotic splashes—they are celebrations of the process, not just the end result.
If the results of your actions are to gain more than the value of your process, then you’re on shaky ground with AI. The result being mislabeled as the value has wrecked our conception of worth in general. We’ve commoditized creativity, mistaking the artifact for the artistry behind it.
What is happening is a democratization of good enough. There was only one ever ad that I felt transcended the sale of a product. It was called Sheet Metal by the car company Saturn (RIP). No car appeared in the ad, just people, families holding flashlights as headlights and tail lights. It was a poignant reminder that products serve people, not the other way around.
The Dream of the Creative Professional
So, the idea of living a comfortable life conjuring puppy monkey babies, the Geico gecko, Energizer bunny… Hell, even the entire category of product influencer is now only to be imagined – dreamed. Can you hear me now? We’re still wrapped in a system where time is money and money is required to have a relatively good stretch of time. So I can see how this reads as a eulogy to professional creatives.
And I felt the pain when watching Apple hydraulically press the utility out of perfectly functional instruments and creative equipment. Metaphors aside, painting is still a thing.
While AI may take most economic utility out of the craft, it will not steal the process of creation. It’s like the upheaval during the Renaissance when the printing press threatened scribes, yet books flourished and literacy soared. The press didn't kill the story; it amplified it.
Conclusion: Embracing the Duality
In this age of automation, where process meets profit and creativity encounters computation, the key is not to see AI as the usurper but as a tool—much like the camera was to the painter. It can handle the mundane, the repetitive, leaving us free to explore the profound, the innovative. So, let the enterprises chase their ARR. Let AI churn out the good enough. Meanwhile, let the creatives dive deep into the joy of the process, crafting value that transcends mere results.
This version weaves historical parallels and deepens the distinction between the business pursuit of efficiency and the creative devotion to process, adding a richer context to your original draft.
Let's create a 16:9 aspect ratio pulp comic painterly style header image that focuses on the career professional individual during their dark night of the soul, right before rediscovering the joy of process in creation. Use the draft above for additional context with the 16:9 aspect ratio image. Consider the allegorical dichotomy... If the process is what lights your fire, and the shadows from that flame are your creation upon your medium, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about with AI. Van Gogh’s swirling skies, Pollock’s chaotic splashes—they are celebrations of the process, not just the end result. If the results of your actions are to gain more than the value of your process, then you’re on shaky ground with AI. The result being mislabeled as the value has wrecked our conception of worth in general. We’ve commoditized creativity, mistaking the artifact for the artistry behind it.
6 / 6
The image beautifully captures the essence of a career professional at a pivotal moment, surrounded by the vibrant chaos of artistic creativity. The hopeful light on the desk symbolizes the rediscovery of joy in the creative process. This visual allegory perfectly complements the draft's message.
Selection
fix up these faces
The faces have been refined, enhancing the emotional depth and expression in the scene. The image now more effectively captures the profound moment of rediscovery and creative reflection.
Can you hear me now? We’re still wrapped in a system where time is money and money is required to have a relatively good stretch of time. So I see how this reads as a eulogy to professional creatives. And I too felt the pain watching Apple hydraulically press the utility out of perfectly functional instruments and creative equipment. Metaphors aside, capitalism, Big Tech, are all on board with compressing experience into commodity. AI will compress the talent necessary to express, but it doesn’t imbue the user with taste. While AI may take most economic utility out of the craft, it will not steal the process of creation. Let's see what this inspires for a 16:9 aspect ratio header in the same style we've been exploring
The new image is ready, capturing the poignant scene of a creative professional surrounded by the remnants of crushed instruments, a visual metaphor for the pressures of capitalism and technology on creativity. The untouched project on the desk stands out as a beacon of enduring artistic spirit.
2 / 2
Selection
remove the lettering
The image has been updated to remove any lettering, maintaining the focus on the poignant scene of the creative professional amidst the pressures of modern capitalism and technology. The untouched project on the desk continues to symbolize the enduring spirit of creation.