Future Frontiers - Issue 11
In this issue:
Focus Feature: McKinsey’s Agentic Foray
Demystifying AI: Tokens
Leadership Lessons: Building a Strong Foundation
Wise Words:
Brain Teaser: The Disappearing Dollar
Focus Feature:
McKinsey’s Agentic Foray: My Take on McKinsey’s AI Pivot
Let me start with a confession: I read McKinsey (and BCG, etc.) interviews and stories with a mix of professional curiosity and personal interest. I’ve worked with Strategy Seven consultants in several capacities, colleagues, compatriots, gatekeepers, and precursors to implementation work. So, when I read Bob Sternfels’s recent interview about making McKinsey “better” for the AI era, I didn’t just see corporate strategy. I saw a blueprint for what’s about to happen to all of us in white-collar work.
Demystifying AI:
Tokens
Imagine receiving an invoice for a “simple” AI summarization task and discovering that technical jargon, compound German words, and even your bullet-point punctuation consumed triple the budget you projected. Welcome to token economics—the invisible unit that determines your AI costs, performance limits, and international scalability.
Leadership Lessons:
Building a Strong Foundation
The famous architect, Frank Gehry, passed away last December, and there were several articles and images of his work.
Whether it is the Louvre or the Golden Gate Bridge, such structures always caught my attention and spurred my imagination. (Needless to add, I am not an expert in art and architecture, but just a wide-eyed enthusiast.)
Wise Words:
Brain Teaser :
The Disappearing Dollar
Three people check into a hotel room that costs $30. They each contribute $10. Later, the manager realizes the room only costs $25 and gives the bellhop $5 to return. The bellhop keeps $2 and gives each person $1 back. Now each person paid $9 (totaling $27), and the bellhop kept $2 (totaling $29). Where did the extra dollar go?