We're Efficient Enough

We show this meme to every new hire at Night:

So what does this image actually represent, and why do we show it to people at Night? Most people see it as an IQ bell curve, with the majority of the population sitting in the middle. We see it as “midcurving,” or overthinking simple decisions. Like most things in life, you want to be on the far left or far right of the curve, but never stuck in the middle.

With all the talk about AI recently, I keep hearing this word efficiency-maxxing. The goal is to maximize output while minimizing input resources (time, money, effort) to get the highest possible return. It feels like every day there’s a new AI company or app claiming to make life simpler. But I keep coming back to this meme and asking myself if I’m just midcurving by adding all these things, only to end up right back where I started.

Another thing in the news last week that got me thinking about this was Hank Green’s new app Focus Friend, which was one of the most downloaded apps (even over ChatGPT). I think it’s performing so well not just because of Hank’s massive reach and fanbase, but because it promotes a non-reliance on your phone and rewards you for completing simple tasks, like folding your laundry.

Every week we get another AI tool that can help creators make thumbnails, edit videos, or brainstorm ideas. I’ve talked to a lot of creators about these tools, and most have tested them but ultimately go back to editing the way they always have. We haven’t seen full buy-in yet where creators let the tools completely edit, clip, or make thumbnails. We’re still in a learning phase, figuring out whether these tools actually help with efficiency-maxxing or if they just distract more than when creators did everything themselves.

My hope is that these tools keep improving to the point where creators actually feel more efficient while still getting the same quality of content as before. Right now, that’s not what we’re seeing.

If a tool just adds complexity without real gains, that’s midcurving. Most AI tools for creators still aren’t good enough to fully replace what already works. The challenge is avoiding the midcurve and doubling down on what actually makes life easier.

In this week’s Spotlight, Timm Chiusano shares some efficiency-maxxing hacks to help you stay focused and steer clear of the midcurve.

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