you are a manager now, act like one!

Slop Manager (image by z-image turbo)

A year ago, I excitedly told my wife about a new experience: I had planned and continuously refined a software project with Gemini for the first time. As a freelancer who rarely works with colleagues, this was a special moment. Suddenly, I had something like a coworker—or even a virtual programmer—as an employee.

I joked: I got promoted to Team Lead today!

This experience has fundamentally changed my perspective. Here are a few learnings.

From Tool to Colleague: The Right AI Mindset

At first, I treated AI like any other tool. And like any other tool, frustration was pre-programmed when something didn't work. But then a mental shift occurred: I began to treat the AI more like a colleague rather than a tool.

Suddenly it became clear: "Okay, he has hit his limits here, but we must find a solution together now." This mindset changes everything. Either I tackle the problem myself then or seek additional expertise—just like in real team work.

The Jevons Paradox in the AI Era

Meanwhile, we are experiencing something fascinating: The efficiency gains from AI don't necessarily lead to faster completion, but to more features. Just as the Jevons Paradox describes—where efficiency gains often lead to increased consumption, not less.

In software development, this means: Because we move faster with AI, we tend to feature creep. We build more, not less. Would a management team do the same just because they have more employees? Probably not—at least not without strategic consideration.

The New Reality: We Are All Managers Now

Here lies the crucial insight: We are all managers in some form now. Everyone of us using AI tools manages virtual resources, makes prioritization decisions, and steers projects.

And with every position—even the virtual one—comes responsibility:

1. Goals must be defined clearer than ever – otherwise we get lost in possibilities
2. Resources must be consciously estimated – even if the "AI employee" seems cheaper
3. Time remains the finite resource – which we can use more effectively than ever

The Manager Mindset for the AI Era

The cheaper "workforce" through AI tempts us to do more. But exactly here we must apply manager thinking:

• Practice strategic restraint: Don't implement everything that is possible
• Quality over quantity: Better to have fewer features, but better thought through
• Resource consciousness: AI time isn't "free" – it consumes attention and steering energy

The Challenge of Our Time

We live in a world where technical possibilities grow exponentially, but our human attention, our time, and our strategic clarity remain limited. AI gives us not just new tools—it forces us to become better decision-makers.

Ultimately, it comes down to this: What do we want to spend our time on? What goals do we set? And how do we use our—now expanded—resources wisely?

The new world demands a new mindset. We are no longer just executors, we are creators. We are managers of our own virtual teams, our projects, our time.

So: Be a manager. Not because you have to, but because the possibilities require it.

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