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Design Consistency, Altman's Claim, Week Long Underwater Expedition and more

3 scientists hung out inside the sea.

Author

Charbel Zeaiter
January 08, 2025

After a barrage of posts on some of the interesting, bizarre (and dare I say, frightening?) new products at CES, we’re all but guaranteed that 2025 is going to be … unpredictable.

Lots of highlights in today’s newsletter, I hope you’re enjoying the ride, and I look forward to seeing what emerges in the world of product, AI, design and science.

Hope your first week back has been great so far!

Yours in Wonder,
Charbel
Founder of Velvet Onion, Faster Zebra and more to come …

Today’s Highlights

  • AI: Altman Goes, 'Confident we know how to build AGI'

  • Design: Don’t Obsess Over Design Consistency: Mould it to Suit Context

  • Science & Tech: Scientists’ Week Long Hang-Out Under the Sea: Deep’s Ocean Ambitions

  • Founding: 7 Insights on Worthwhile Management: How to Captain Teams and Steer Them Strategically

  • Product: Thriving in Reorgs: How to Use Organisational Changes To Your Best Advantage

  • Today’s AI image: 2050: Some Leave for Mars, Some Move In With Sharks & Whales

  • Quote for the day: On the Miracles of the World

AI

Altman Goes, 'Confident we know how to build AGI'

In a bold new blog post titled Reflections, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company now feels certain it has cracked the code for building artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Looking ahead, OpenAI’s ambitions have shifted towards creating superintelligent systems, which Altman predicts could redefine scientific breakthroughs and significantly boost global prosperity.

The Path to Superintelligence

Altman confidently projected that the first AI agents could enter the workforce as early as 2025.

This leap into superintelligence, he suggests, holds the potential to revolutionise industries, reshape economies, and usher in an era of unparalleled abundance.

Addressing Past Turbulence

The blog didn’t shy away from OpenAI’s internal challenges, including the leadership upheaval of November 2023.

Altman candidly referred to his unexpected dismissal during the crisis as “a colossal failure of governance,” albeit one driven by good intentions.

Why is this a big deal?

While sceptics may dismiss OpenAI’s ambitious declarations, there’s a palpable shift in confidence among its team and peers in the AI world.

If Altman’s predictions hold water, the timeline for AGI and superintelligence could fast-track transformative changes across industries, arriving far sooner than many had envisioned.

Also in AI

Design

Don’t Obsess Over Design Consistency: Mould it to Suit Context

In design, terms like quality and simplicity often sound agreeable but lack precise meaning, leading to misalignment.

Consistency is particularly divisive—some see it as a guiding principle, others as a restrictive label.

Without clarity, teams often talk past one another, mistaking shared vocabulary for shared understanding.

Defining Consistency

PJ Onori frames consistency in design as the interplay of three traits:

  • Logical: Decisions follow clear, rule-based reasoning.

  • Perceptible: Users can easily discern the underlying logic.

  • Predictable: Patterns help users anticipate outcomes.

This definition offers a starting point but needs detailed examples to be actionable. Consistency isn’t binary; it’s a spectrum ranging from chaotic disorder to stifling uniformity.

Finding the Right Balance

Absolute consistency can feel monotonous, while too much chaos disrupts user experience.

Large organisations often lean towards disorder due to siloed decision-making, but rigid attempts at uniformity can be equally harmful.

The goal is a pragmatic middle ground—structured where needed, flexible where it matters.

Consistency shapes user experience and team alignment.

It’s not about perfection but about intentionality. Knowing when to aim for order, embrace variation, or settle into the messy middle.

Also in Design

Science & Tech

Scientists’ Week Long Hang-Out Under the Sea: Deep’s Ocean Ambitions

British startup Deep is diving into uncharted waters with plans to establish long-term human habitation beneath the sea.

From a quarry on the Wales-England border, they aim to bring cutting-edge technology to ocean science, a field stagnant since the 1980s.

By 2030, Deep envisions permanent underwater homes for researchers, transforming how we study marine ecosystems.

The Vanguard and Sentinel Projects

The journey begins with Vanguard, a compact habitat for three people, set to be tested in 2025.

Modular and transportable, it will operate at depths of 100 metres for up to a week. Vanguard paves the way for Sentinel, a larger system launching in 2027.

Sentinel will house six residents for months, featuring labs, living spaces, and pods tailored for different tasks.

Why Go Underwater?

Current diving limitations allow only minutes of work at deep-sea levels, followed by hours of decompression.

Underwater habitats could multiply productivity, enabling weeks of uninterrupted research.

With over 90% of marine biodiversity still unexplored, these habitats promise breakthroughs in understanding ecosystems and tackling climate change.

Engineering the Deep

Deep’s habitats rely on advanced manufacturing, using robotic systems to create pressure-resistant structures through 3D printing and welding.

Powered by renewable energy and equipped with emergency life support, these habitats are designed to withstand the harsh underwater environment.

A Bold Vision

Deep’s efforts could revolutionise ocean exploration, much like SpaceX transformed space travel.

By enabling permanent underwater research stations, they aim to unlock the secrets of marine biodiversity and climate systems, redefining humanity’s relationship with the ocean.

Also in Science & Tech

  • Digits: Nvidia’s $3,000 Mini AI Supercomputer

  • LG’s Gaming Monitor: Meet the LG UltraGear GX9—a bendable 45-inch beast with 5K2K resolution and jaw-dropping specs

  • Robotaxis Ready to Roll: Uber and Lyft gear up for driverless taxis across US cities

  • Ancient Roman IQ Drain: Lead pollution from mining may have dimmed the collective intelligence of ancient Rome

Founding

7 Insights on Worthwhile Management: How to Captain Teams and Steer Them Strategically

With teams, especially large ones, you practically cannot commandeer every operational breath your organisation draws. You cannot wholly control the “how” of your team’s functioning. It’s not wise to. 

What you can control is the “what”. Here’s 7 right ways to do so:

#1 Goals > Methods

Control where they’re headed. For the path though? Grant some autonomy. Let them narrow down to the best approach. 

#2 Align them well with your expectations 

Exceptional teams thrive on alignment around priorities and clear expectations.

Adequate autonomy paired with strong alignment leads to remarkable productivity.

#3 Ingrain in them what “good” looks like

Quality, timeline, cost and else. Set clear targets, secure agreement and commitment and check in regularly to course-correct without authoritative micromanagement. 

#4 Erect certain boundaries

Like for Marketing, fix something like - Generate 100k leads within $X budget.

For Product, it could be to ship feature X by Y date, ensuring data integration. And so beyond. 

#5 When Things Go Wrong

Avoid micromanaging in response to mistakes. Instead, let things play out and assess their impact. Coach on process and provide constructive feedback.

#6 Coaching > Micromanagement

Coaching involves guiding and supporting employees to learn and improve, rather than controlling their every move.

#7 It’s a long game

Leadership involves empowering others to become independent problem-solvers.

Allow employees to make and learn from mistakes, offering guidance when necessary. 

You’ll surely end up developing a smarter self-functioning team tilted towards progress.  

Product

Thriving in Reorgs: How to Use Organisational Changes To Your Best Advantage  

Change is hard. There’s friction when it comes after a long time and there’s overwhelm when it cycles frequently. 

Either way, there’s a great opportunity underneath every such reorg carried out. 

To claim this opportunity, you must first anticipate reorgs in advance. Majorly, there’s two switches that trigger a reorg:

1- New Company Priorities: Like when launching new product lines. Or centralising efforts around AI tools.

One question to ask: What’s presently gaining momentum or investment?

2- New Leadership: New minds bring new ideas and visions. You could almost guarantee a restructure within 6 months of a new leader joining. 

To solidify your prediction, single out what challenge/s the new leaders are expected to tackle.

Once you’ve sniffed a potential reorg, here’s 3 simple ways you can start positioning yourself for the greatest benefit:

#1 Stay informed and relevant

Cultivate relationships across teams to keep a pulse on industry trends, competitor moves, and company priorities.

Talk with analysts, sales teams, and higher-ups for informal updates.

#2 Participate in new initiatives with a tinge of visible enthusiasm. 

Spot areas likely to receive investment and contribute meaningfully to those projects.

#3 Befriend the new leader and his perspective.

Build rapport early and position yourself as a thought partner for their vision.

Today’s AI Image

2050: Some Leave for Mars, Some Move In With Sharks & Whales

Quote of the Day

On the Miracles of the World

"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."

W.B. Yeats

What we’re working on

Velvet Onion & Friends

The new Velvet Onion & Friends will be launched soon. It’s our latest evolution, helping companies build products. It’s more than services.

Faster Zebra

February 2025 - the product and venture school journey begins. Whitepaper launching in January.

🧞Your wish is my command

Charbel

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