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Before You Ask AI, Ask a Human

The Hidden Danger of AI Productivity What if AI helps you work twice as fast, but makes your organisation half as innovative? We have been told that AI will transform the workplace by helping us work faster, smarter and more efficiently. But a recent report in The Straits Times , featuring researchers from INSEAD and Google DeepMind, raises a disturbing possibility: AI may boost individual productivity while undermining workplace innovation. The reason is surprisingly simple. We are becoming more self-sufficient, but less connected to one another. Martin Gonzalez, head of organisational AI research at Google DeepMind, describes a phenomenon called the “self-sufficiency spiral.” Instead of asking colleagues for advice, employees increasingly turn to AI. Why wait for your manager when ChatGPT can answer immediately? Why brainstorm with colleagues when AI can generate 20 ideas in seconds? Why risk disagreements when AI is always available and rarely makes you feel uncomfortable? ...

Stop Fearing AI Taking Your Job. Start Fearing the Opportunities You May Miss!

Stop Fearing AI Taking Your Job. Start Fearing the Opportunities You May Miss! Sun Tzu Art of War had the answer 2,500 years ago. First Principles Thinking explains why. Everyone is asking: "Will AI take away my job?" I think we are asking the wrong question. What if AI creates so many new opportunities that we cannot find enough people to seize them? Sun Tzu's Art of War begins with five fundamental factors, placing Dao (道) first. Dao is about shared purpose, direction, and alignment. Before asking HOW to win, we must understand WHY we are fighting. This connects beautifully with First Principles Thinking . Instead of accepting the assumption that AI destroys jobs, question it. What is the fundamental purpose of work? Is it to perform repetitive tasks? Or is it to create value, solve problems, serve people, and improve lives? If AI can perform certain tasks faster and cheaper, why fight it? Let AI do what it does best. We focus on creating value that was previously ...

易经的逆向思维与第一性原理：为什么要害怕AI抢走你的饭碗？

很多人都在担心： “AI会不会抢走我的工作？” 但《易经》教导我们：换个角度看问题，危机可能就是转机！一、易经：阴阳思维，反过来看问题《易经》的核心智慧之一，就是阴阳相生、相互转化。有危就有机，有失也可能有得。与其问：“如何防止AI取代我的工作？” 不如反过来问： “如何利用AI，让自己变得比以前更有价值？” AI可能取代某些工作任务，却也可能让人类的判断力、信任、创造力和人际关系变得更加珍贵。二、第一性原理：挑战习以为常的假设第一性原理（First Principles Thinking）强调：不要盲目接受现有观念，而要回到事物最根本的本质。问自己三个问题：企业为什么聘请员工？不是为了让员工忙碌，而是为了创造价值。客户为什么愿意付钱？不是因为你做了多少工作，而是因为你解决了他们的问题。 AI有什么难以真正取代？人类的责任担当、真诚关怀、道德判断与深厚的人际关系。因此，真正值得思考的是： “我如何借助AI，创造过去无法创造的价值？” 三、逆向思维：同样的AI，不同的命运想象两位企业培训师。培训师A：害怕AI。因为AI能制作课件、编写教材、回答问题，他担心自己迟早被淘汰。培训师B：善用AI。他利用AI快速准备教材，把节省下来的时间用于了解学员、分享亲身经历、引导讨论，并帮助学员真正改变行为。结果呢？培训师A与AI竞争。培训师B利用AI提升自己的价值。两人的差别，不在于AI有多强大，而在于他们如何思考。四、易经钻石智慧：换个角度，看到不同的未来《易经》让我们看到问题的不同面向；第一性原理让我们突破传统假设，重新认识价值的本质。两者结合，带来一个重要启示：不要一直问：“AI会不会取代我？” 而要问：“我有什么价值值得别人留下我？AI又如何让我创造更大的价值？” 当然，这不代表所有工作都不会被AI取代。但面对同样的科技冲击，不同的思维与行动，可以创造不同的未来。 AI可能取代你做的事，却不一定能取代你创造的价值。这就是《易经》的逆向思维、第一性原理，以及易经钻石智慧的力量。真正需要升级的，不只是我们的科技能力，更是我们的思维方式！

Yijing says No Fear about AI Taking Over Your Job

Yijing, Contrarian Thinking and First Principles: Why Fear AI Taking Your Job? Most people ask: “Will AI take away my job?” But Yijing (易经) encourages us to look at situations from different, even opposite, perspectives. 1. Yijing: Look at the Opposite (阴阳思维) Yijing teaches that Yin and Yang coexist, interact and transform into each other. Where there is danger, there may also be opportunity. Instead of asking, “How do I protect my job from AI?”, ask: “How can AI make me more valuable than before?” AI may replace certain tasks, but it can also create demand for human judgment, trust, creativity and relationships. 2. First Principles: Question Your Assumptions (第一性原理) First Principles Thinking asks us to strip away assumptions and return to fundamental truths. Consider three questions: Why do companies employ people? Not merely to perform tasks, but to create value. Why do customers pay? Not simply for work done, but for problems solved and needs fulfilled. What can AI not fully replace...

人工智能时代的董事会优势

我在公司法和商法领域深耕三十余载，并曾担任多家新加坡上市公司的独立董事。我深知，良好的公司治理绝不仅仅是合规那么简单；其核心在于保护价值、做出审慎决策，并构建能够基业长青的企业。人工智能（AI）固然能够提供信息、分析风险并提出解决方案，但它无法取代董事所应具备的判断力、勇气与责任感。我与吴林朔相识于2001年，也见证了他担任商业教练的历程。他致力于助力企业成长的初心，正是本书的基石。在《人工智能时代的董事会优势》（The Board Advantage in the AI Era）一书中，吴老师以通俗易懂的商业语言阐释了复杂的治理议题，并辅以真实案例和引人深思的董事会探讨问题。本书的独特价值在于，它强调了“财务治理即战略治理”的理念，并突出了独立思考对于创造可持续股东价值的重要性。如果您也认同，良好的治理不应成为企业发展的阻碍，而应助力企业更加自信地阔步前行，那么这本书正是为您而写。威廉·达·席尔瓦（William da Silva）法律顾问 Adams & Marshall LLC 首席执行官

What is good Corporate Governance as per a lawyer?

Having spent more than three decades in corporate and commercial law, and having served as an Independent Director of Singapore-listed companies, I know good corporate governance is not merely about compliance. It is about protecting value, making sound decisions and building businesses that last. AI can provide information, analyse risks and recommend solutions. But it cannot replace the judgment, courage and responsibility expected of directors. I have known Andy Ng since 2001, including during his years as a business coach. His commitment to helping businesses grow provides the foundation for this book. In The Board Advantage in the AI Era, Andy explains complex governance issues in simple business language, supported by real-world cases and thought-provoking boardroom questions. What makes this book particularly relevant is its emphasis on financial governance as strategic governance, and the i...

连苹果也会犯错！iPhone Duo的问题也是你的问题

连苹果也会犯错！iPhone Duo的挫折，给所有老板和打工人的警示 **一部价值2000美元的手机，如果打开几次就出现裂痕，破碎的恐怕不只是屏幕，还有消费者的信任。** 一、故事：万众期待，为什么变成失望？ 2026年10月23日，苹果推出首款折叠手机iPhone Duo。果粉期待已久，首批网上订单迅速售罄。然而，上市短短几天，部分消费者便反映：手机展开时发出异常声响，内屏出现线条，甚至开裂。想象一下，你花了2000美元，兴奋地向家人展示新手机，结果最引以为傲的功能，竟然成为最大的烦恼！苹果表示受影响的产品数量不多，并提供更换服务。问题原因仍在调查中。这不代表整个产品已经失败，但足以提醒我们： **再大的企业，也可能因为一个细节，动摇多年建立的信任。** 二、情感：消费者失去的，不只是金钱人们购买苹果，不只是为了先进科技。更是为了安心、品质和信任。当产品出现问题，消费者难免会问： “苹果不是最重视品质的吗？” 企业看到的是技术故障。 **消费者感受到的，却可能是承诺落空。** 职场上何尝不是如此？老板承诺支持员工，遇到困难却不见人影。销售员成交前热情万分，收钱后却不再关心客户。公司一味追求创新，却忽略基层员工提出的风险。最终失去的，不只是业绩，而是人心。三、三个值得深思的教训第一，创新再厉害，也不能牺牲可靠性。产品再先进，如果不能让客户放心使用，又有什么意义？企业追求的，不应该只是令人惊叹的技术，而是能够持续创造价值的品质。第二，真正的领导者，必须欢迎不同意见。再优秀的企业，也不可能完全避免风险。工程师敢不敢提出问题？员工敢不敢挑战老板？董事会有没有认真讨论最坏的情况？ **最危险的管理文化，不是有人提出问题，而是所有人都说：“没问题！”** 有时候，一个勇敢的问题，就能避免一场昂贵的失败。第三，出了问题，先挽回人心，再解决技术。这正是我所倡导的**爱的智慧（Love Intelligence，LQ）**。 **关心（Care）：** 理解客户的失望，而不是把投诉当作麻烦。 **勇气（Courage）：** 敢于承认问题、承担责任，并采取行动。 **连接（Connection）：** 真诚沟通、提供解决方案，重新建立信任。更换手机只是第一步。真正的考验，是企业能否解决根本问题，让消费者重新安心。 **企业的伟大，不...

iPhone Duo: A Failure Product or a Company that Fails?

When a US$2,000 innovation breaks in your hands, it isn't just the screen that cracks. Trust can crack too. The Story: When Innovation Meets Reality On 23 October 2026, Apple launched its much-anticipated iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone. For Apple enthusiasts, it was an exciting moment. Imagine owning a beautifully engineered phone that could unfold into a larger screen. After years of waiting, customers finally had the opportunity to experience Apple's vision of the future. Initial online orders sold out within minutes. Then, just days after the launch, something unexpected happened. Some customers reported hearing a crunching sound when unfolding their new phones. Lines appeared across the inner display. In some cases, the screen cracked after only hours or days of normal use. Imagine spending US$2,000 on a premium phone, proudly showing it to your family, only to discover that its most exciting feature had become its greatest weakness. Apple acknowledged that a smal...

Stop Letting Fear Hold You Back with Niu Lai

How This “Terrible” Film Niu Lai, Served as a Wake-Up Call We are currently drowning in a sea of “manufactured perfection.” Major streaming platforms are saturated with content that has been meticulously optimized by algorithms and polished by committees—flawless and safe, yet often entirely devoid of soul. They feed us a dangerous lie: that to take the stage, one must first be perfect. Then came *Niu Lai*. When this low-budget animated film, produced for a mere RMB1,688, was released, it was, from a technical standpoint, an absolute disaster. Created over the course of five years by a self-taught director and his mother using outdated equipment, the film is riddled with animation glitches and features crude, unrefined character models. By industry standards, it should have been a total failure. Instead, it became a global sensation. To date, it has grossed 60 million RMB and reached audiences worldwide via YouTube. Why? Because its very flaws became its greatest strength. It proves ...

蜜雪冰城：全球餐饮业老大，已超越麦当劳

以坚韧精神铸就的冰淇淋事业：四次拆迁如何催生出一个全球商业帝国 1997年，一个来自农村的小伙子张红超，站在中国郑州街头一个尘土飞扬的角落，注视着一台简陋、发出刺耳声响的机器。由于买不起商用设备，他用废弃的电机和旧自行车零件，亲手组装了一台刨冰机。当时他身无分文，唯一的启动资金是3000元人民币。这笔钱并非来自银行或风险投资人，而是他的祖母倾其所有，将毕生积蓄交到了他手中。他给这个小摊位取名为“寒流”。随之而来的是长达十年的残酷磨难与心碎历程。张红超最初经营的三个摊位都以彻底失败告终，原因在于客流量极度匮乏。为了生存，他曾尝试转行养殖牲畜和售卖街头小吃，但每一次尝试都让他本就脆弱的资本消耗殆尽。当他最终重回冷饮行业时，一场新的噩梦随之降临。 1999年至2003年间，随着城市经历快速的现代化进程，当地政府先后四次拆除了他的店面。推土机四次开来，店面四次化为瓦砾，他的事业也四次归零。换作常人，恐怕早已崩溃。然而，城市可以拆毁砖墙，却永远无法摧毁张红超的意志。在他看来，店面不过是暂时的载体，而他始终坚守着一个核心使命：让大众都能享用得起美味、清爽的冷饮。 2006年，转机终于到来。当时，高端西方冰淇淋品牌大举涌入中国市场，其售卖的软冰淇淋甜筒定价在4到5元之间。对于富裕阶层而言，这不过是九牛一毛；但对于张红超所熟悉的工薪阶层学生和生活拮据的家庭来说，这却是一种遥不可及的奢侈。张红超决定向这种“高端壁垒”发起挑战。他把自己关起来，用鲜奶和鸡蛋反复试验，成功复刻出了软冰淇淋的配方，并推出了售价仅为1元人民币的冰淇淋甜筒。他考虑的并非如何从消费者的口袋里榨取最大财富，而是如何将价格压到极致，从而赢得顾客的心。市场反响极其热烈，店外排起了长龙——现代“ 蜜雪冰城 ”由此诞生。即便如此，挫折并未就此放过他。冬天来临时，那些主营冰淇淋的加盟店遭遇了大规模倒闭潮。张红超与兄弟果断转型，在菜单中加入了平价鲜柠檬茶和热奶茶，为合作伙伴们开辟出一条全年皆可盈利的生存之道。他们意识到，若要维持低价，就不能依赖中间商。于是，他们自建工厂、仓库和物流网络，使蜜雪冰城从一家脆弱的零售商，蜕变为势不可挡的B2B供应链巨头。如今，蜜雪冰城已跻身全球餐饮业的顶尖行列，在全球拥有近6万家门店，门店数量远超麦当劳（约4.6万家）。作为一家实力雄厚的上市企业，蜜雪冰城的财务架构独具匠...

4 Demolitions, Cold Winter and High Inflation Killed Businesses but Not Mixue

The Ice Cream Built on Unbroken Spirit: How 4 Demolitions Birthed a Global Empire In 1997, a rural boy named Zhang Hongchao stood on a dusty street corner in Zhengzhou, China, staring at a crude, rattling machine. He couldn't afford commercial equipment, so he had built this shaved-ice machine himself out of a scrap motor and old bicycle parts. His pockets were empty, save for a 3,000-yuan ($400 USD) loan—not from a bank or a venture capitalist, but from his grandmother, who had handed him her entire life savings. He named his tiny stall Cold Wave . What followed was a decade of brutal, relentless heartbreak. Hongchao’s first three stalls failed completely, starved of foot traffic. Desperate to survive, he pivoted to farming livestock and selling street snacks, but every venture bled out his fragile capital. When he finally returned to cold drinks, a new nightmare began. Between 1999 and 2003, as the city underwent rapid modernization, the local government physically demol...

A Note from Sun Yi and Teresa Teng

Tired of Being Ignored, Underpaid and Unappreciated? Perhaps You Haven't Found Your Teresa Teng! The remarkable story of a song rejected three times, yet made millions from 1977 to today. Have you ever given your best, only to receive little appreciation? You work hard, but your boss doesn't recognise your contributions. You deliver results, but your rewards hardly reflect your efforts. You have talents, ideas and ambitions, but nobody seems interested. You apply for opportunities, only to be rejected or ignored. Even the government schemes and institutions you hoped would support you may not recognise what you have to offer. Worse still, the government banned you. Eventually, you begin to wonder: "Am I really not good enough?" Before you lose confidence, let me share a story that moved me to tears. A song that struggled for recognition before becoming one of the most beloved Chinese songs in history. 1. Rejected by Its Own Creator In the early 1970s, composer Tony...

曾三次被弃用、遭禁，1977年重生，赚钱至今

如果说，你人生中最大的机遇其实早已被你拒绝、忽略，甚至丢弃了呢？这是一个令我感动落泪的故事——关于《月亮代表我的心》，这首史上最受喜爱的中文歌曲之一，有着一段非凡的历程。如今，距离邓丽君在1977年将这首歌唱红已过去50年，它依然跨越了世代、文化和国界，持续触动着人们的心弦。然而，它走向世界舞台的过程却绝非一帆风顺。它不仅经历过一次“死亡”，而是整整三次。这是一个关于拒绝、坚持、时机，以及最重要的一点——找到那些能慧眼识珠、认可你的价值并助你成功的人——的故事。 1. 第一位“对的人”：能看见他人所看不见之处的人 20世纪70年代初，作曲家汤尼(翁清溪)在波士顿求学期间创作了这段旋律。但他觉得这首曲子太过平庸、老派，于是便将手稿丢弃了。他的好友、作词人孙仪在翁清溪家中翻找东西时，偶然在垃圾桶里发现了这份手稿。他敏锐地捕捉到了其中的美感，在经历了几番挫折与尝试后，为这段旋律填上了歌词。这首歌曾一度“夭折”，却因一位能洞察其价值的人而重获新生。第一个启示：你人生中最大的财富，或许正是那些你早已弃之不顾的事物。许多才华横溢的人和充满潜力的企业，就像那份被丢弃的手稿一样。它们蕴藏着巨大的潜能，却始终未被他人所察觉。有时，你所需要的并非更多的才华或资源。你需要的是一个能够看见你自身都尚未察觉的价值的人。 2. 第二位“对的人”：在困境中依然坚信你的人 1973年，陈芬兰首次录制了这首歌，但销量惨淡，被视为一次失败的尝试。另一位歌手刘冠霖也看中了这首歌并进行了录制。她竭力推广，但销量依然不佳，因为当时台湾正处于戒严时期，这首歌遭到了禁播。原因在于，歌词中的一句“轻轻的一个吻”被认为是在传播负面价值观。此后的四年里，这首歌一直被尘封在唱片公司的仓库中，被视为毫无用处。在“重生”之后，这首歌又两次陷入沉寂。算上最初的挫折，它总共经历了三次失败。回想一下你自己的生活。你是否曾为某件事付出过巨大努力，结果却被完全无视？你是否曾明明拥有宝贵的价值，却依然遭到拒绝？遭到拒绝并不代表你没有价值。有时，只是因为受众不对、环境不宜，或是时机未到。 3. 第三位“对的人”：让你的价值熠熠生辉 1977年，邓丽君偶然发现了这首歌。她非常喜欢，便告诉作曲者汤尼，她想重新演绎这首歌，将其打造出一种温柔、细腻且舒缓的风格。面对当时台湾地区的禁令，邓丽君及其团队做出了一个...

Your Business May Be Sitting on a Goldmine — But Who Will Discover It?

What if the greatest opportunity of your life has already been rejected, overlooked, or thrown away? This is the story that moved me to tears, the remarkable story of The Moon Represents My Heart ( 月亮代表我的心 ), one of the most beloved Chinese songs of all time. Today, 50 years after Teresa Teng made it famous in 1977, the song continues to touch hearts across generations, cultures and continents. Yet its journey to worldwide recognition was anything but smooth. It died not once, but 3 times. It is a story about rejection, perseverance, timing and, most importantly, finding the right people who recognise your value and help you succeed. 1. The First Right Person: Someone Who Sees What Others Cannot Composer Tony Weng Qingxi ( 翁清溪 ) created the melody in the early 1970s while studying in Boston. But he considered it too ordinary and old-fashioned, and discarded the manuscript. His good friend, lyricist Sun Yi ( 孙仪 ), while going through the trash bin at Tony’s house, sa...

希音非便宜，其背后的真正秘诀

别再只说希音 Shein“便宜”了：这家全球最具颠覆性的零售商，其背后有着怎样的真正秘诀？我们或许都曾在网购时盯着一件售价仅人民币10元的上衣，心生疑惑：这怎么可能呢？但如果你认为希音庞大的全球商业帝国——年销售额超过 380 亿美元，占据全球快时尚市场 18% 的份额，业务覆盖 160 多个国家，服务着 2.3 亿用户——仅仅是靠“超低价”建立起来的，那你就没看懂它真正的成功之道。绝非仅仅是一家低成本的代工企业或折扣品牌。它是第一家真正以自身逻辑征服全球市场的中国消费企业，而它实现这一目标的方式，就是重写了商业规则。传统的“猜谜游戏”与“实时数据流” 回想一下传统时尚行业的运作模式。几十年来，零售巨头们通过将产品交付周期缩短至几周，从而主导了市场。但即便如此，他们依然是在“赌博”：设计师预测六个月后会流行什么，然后进行大规模生产、发货，最后祈祷消费者会买单。一旦预测失误，大幅降价和堆积如山的库存就会迅速吞噬掉利润。 Shein 审视了这种存在缺陷的模式，并将其彻底颠覆。他们不再靠“猜”，而是将时尚视为一场实时数据实验。每推出一款新设计，他们仅进行 100 件的小批量试产。如果应用中的数字信号显示用户产生了即时的点击和加购行为，自动化软件便会立即触发合作工厂，连夜扩大生产规模；如果产品反响平平，生产则会立刻停止。因此，Shein 几乎不存在库存积压问题。披着服装品牌外衣的科技平台在这种敏捷性的背后，是一套精密复杂的“技术神经系统”。Shein 并没有建立庞大的中心化工厂，而是将广州等产业集群中的数千家独立作坊整合进了一个自有的云端网络中。供应商直接接入 Shein 的数据流，根据用户的实时行为接收自动生成的“微型订单”。再加上由人工智能驱动的趋势预测系统——能够实时监测社交媒体上的微趋势——Shein 成功绕过了传统的中间商。他们构建了一座直面消费者的数字桥梁，通过高互动性、游戏化的购物模式，积累了数千万活跃用户，并实现了数十亿次的应用程序下载量。回归“第一性原理” 这一经验的启示远不止于服装行业。当企业陷入困境时，通常是因为它们偏离了商业的本质。现在是时候摒弃干扰，回归“第一性原理”思考了：明确客户的需求，并满足这些需求。不要再仅凭过时的传统去揣测市场需要什么。建立反馈闭环，实时倾听受众的声音；消除需求与交付之间的阻碍；让客户来引领方向。作者...

No More Guessing, It's Just Data, Stupid!

Stop Calling Shein Cheap: The Real Secret Behind the World’s Most Disruptive Retailer We’ve all stared at a three-dollar top online and wondered: How is that even possible? But if you think Shein’s global empire, pulling in upwards of US$38 billion in annual sales, capturing an 18% global fast-fashion market share, and spanning over 160 countries serving 230 million customers , is built entirely on dirt-cheap prices, you’re missing the real story. Shein isn’t just a low-cost contract manufacturer or a discount brand. It is the first Chinese-born consumer company to truly conquer the world on its own terms. And it did it by rewriting the rules of commerce. The Old Guessing Game vs. The Real-Time Feed Think about how the fashion industry traditionally operated. For decades, retail giants ruled the space by shortening lead times to weeks. But even they were gambling. Designers would guess what trends would peak six months from now, manufacture massive bulk quantities, ship th...