The Great Tech Wakeup: Strategies to Avoid the Tech Industry's $2 Trillion Problem

Silicon Valley's ethos of 'move fast and break things' has evolved, and many of us didn’t even notice.

Today, the focus isn’t just on disruption—it’s on rebuilding productivity, leveraging AI, and evolving workplace dynamics.

According to recent revelations, it seems some engineers who are making $200-300K annually are pushing just "two code changes a month."

For my non-techy friends out there, imagine your contractor installing just the dishwasher and then just the range hood... in a month. Something about “this kitchen remodel is it’s taking longer than usual...”

If you ask Musk, he thinks there’s $2 trillion—that's trillion, with a T—in savings to be had by making a few cuts and boosting productivity.?

With such big numbers and so many eyes on the productivity topic these days, now’s not the time to master the “art” of looking busy. Rather, now's the time to ramp up that productivity.

Ok, so let’s get into it.?

Here are 5 strategies to boost your productivity.

1. Set Boundaries

Your Inbox Isn't Someone Else’s To-Do List

Use the Eisenhower Matrix to manage your time more effectively.

Here's how it works:

• Important + Urgent = Pick up the phone
• Important + Not Urgent = Send a note via Teams or Slack or whatever flavor of direct messaging your org is using.?
• Not Important + Urgent = Text a cell phone
• Not Important + Not Urgent = Email

This matters because while some folks are using mouse-movement software to appear online, changemakers are creating operating rhythms that protect their most valuable asset: their time.

2. Lock In Your Calendar

While Others Block Out Their "Private Time"

This isn’t just blocking off your calendar to look busy. Your goal here is to proactively plan your time for maximum impact and follow-through on your commitments. Five quick tips for effective scheduling:

1. Big things first, small things last

2. Schedule according to your energy levels

3. Batch similar work

4. Be 100% compliant with your schedule

5. Constantly adjust and optimize

Constraints create creativity. Without them, you're just bound to meander.

3. Kill Distractions

Instead of Creating Them

Use 'out of sight, out of mind' to your advantage. You're already stretched thin. Chances are your cell phone, Teams, email, Salesforce.com, and your smart watch are pulling you in all directions. Three quick tips to kill the noise, literally:

1. Turn off ALL notifications (yes, ALL of them)

2. Bake in specific check-in times into your daily agenda

3. Delegate distractions

Richard Branson's assistant handles all his communications? Everything gets filtered before it reaches him. That's not avoiding work—that's optimizing it.

4. Pinpoint Priorities?

Not Excuses

While some are hiding behind technical jargon and process delays, successful leaders are using the DRIP Matrix to evaluate and prioritize their activities.

Low Energy + Low Money = Delegate/Delete/Defer

• Think: Processing routine emails, updating status reports, scheduling meetings
• Action: Get these off your plate—they're not worth your time

Low Energy + High Money = Outsource

• Think: Standard client check-ins, routine sales calls that consistently generate revenue
• Action: Train someone else to handle these valuable but straightforward tasks

High Energy + Low Money = Investment

• Think: Learning new skills, building relationships, mentoring your team
• Action: Make time for these—they're your future competitive advantage

High Energy + High Money = Focus Zone

• Think: Strategic planning, key client negotiations, innovative problem-solving
• Action: This is your zone—get in the zone.?

In the DRIP Matrix, "Money" refers to the potential value or ROI generated from an activity, not its cost. And "Energy" is your level of effort. It's not rocket science, but it can be game-changing when you actually use it.

5. Delegate Low Value Tasks

Instead of Avoiding High Value Ones

Two sides of the systematic coin. You can choose to systematically avoid, or you can choose to systematically delegate. And delegating doesn’t necessarily mean delegating to another human. There’s plenty of tech that will do the work for you.?

1. Automate workflows

2. Outsource errands

3. Delegate chores

4. Offshore work

5. Hire an assistant

Ready to Start?

• Pick one strategy (just one—let's not get crazy here)
• Implement it tomorrow (not next week, not next quarter—tomorrow)
• Focus on consistency over perfection
• Document what works (and what hilariously fails)

Crawl, Walk, Run:

• Turn off ALL notifications for 2 hours
• Set up a 15-minute daily check-in time for messages
• Block—whoops, "lock in"—your most productive time tomorrow
• Identify one low-energy task you can delegate
• Create your first DRIP Matrix with your current projects

With companies planning 10-15% annual US headcount reductions and leveraging AI and global talent pools, the game is changing. The days of "artificially extending project timelines" are gone.

If Musk could lay off 80% of Twitter's workforce without proportional drops in productivity, imagine what's possible when you actually optimize your productivity instead of just mastering the art of appearing productive.

Hashtags for the bots

because they need to look productive too

#ProductivityHacks

#LeadershipStrategies

#TechIndustry

#TimeManagement