When AI FOMO is real: Speed vs. Discernment

The AI adoption conversation in early 2026 is loud, fast, and full of warnings that you’ll be left behind if you don’t move now. But for most of us, the real question isn’t how fast you can adopt every new tool—it’s whether the tool or use case is right for your business.In this episode, Jessica shares her own journey from existential AI FOMO in January (OpenClaw! ClaudeCode! Opus! Oh my!) to a more grounded relationship with which tools actually serve her business. Meg brings her framework on early adopter cycles, the system stress that follows loud hype, and why the people yelling the loudest about a technology are usually trying to prove something—to themselves or to you.We talk about what friction is actually telling you, the work AI is currently best poised to eliminate, and how to stay informed enough to make good decisions without getting sucked into the daily noise. * Jessica’s emotional arc from existential AI FOMO in January 2026 to a calmer, more grounded approach—and what actually changed* Why early adopters yelling about a technology often signals the window of advantage is already closing* The “friction as signal” reframe: how slowing down through manual processes reveals whether you should be doing something at all* What AI will realistically eliminate—repetitive, clerical, execution tasks—versus what stays irreplaceable (strategy, point of view, and looking someone in the eye)* The “glue jobs” problem: roles that hold organizations together without driving revenue directly, and the risk of automating them away before you understand what they do* How to tell the difference between adopting a tool because you genuinely need it versus keeping up* Why understanding how a system breaks is more valuable than just using it to generate output—and how building things yourself teaches you that* How to stay aware enough to make smart decisions without falling into constant FOMO-checking as a business strategy"The friction slows me down enough to be like, 'This was a poor choice, Jessica. Strategically, I'm asking, am I dragging my feet because it's taking a long time? Or am I dragging my feet because this is not the right move? If you don't drag your feet, you never ask those questions. And I was partway through building out Five Foundations as a suite of courses and I stopped and said, wait—is this actually what I want to do? And the answer was no. The friction gave me the time to figure that out." -JessicaResourcesTBM 417: Before You Fire All Your Glue People Because of AIMatt Schumer “Something Big is Happening” Wikipedia pageCitrini’s 2028 Global Intelligence CrisisThe Panel with Justin Jackson and Brian CaselConnect with UsListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsMeg CaseboltJessica Lackey This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aggressivelyhuman.substack.com