The Wayfarer by Gun.io. January 12th, 2024.

We've had a lot of brainstorming sessions over the last few months–for events, content, sales growth, you name it–and I have to say, AI has been a great partner in it. Having a little help in the form of idea generation is?a blessing in disguise, and I definitely recommend trying it yourself. Always take the suggestions with a grain of salt, obviously, but I see this as one of the ways using AI in the workplace can be so beneficial to speeding up a process that still needs a human touch.

There are a couple of other things I like to do to ensure brainstorming sessions are the most beneficial they can be. I like to limit it to smaller groups, usually five or fewer people, to make sure there are plenty of ideas and conversations without getting overwhelming. Scheduling your brainstorming sessions is also important; impromptu sessions don't always?allow for time to tap into the playfulness that's required. Defaulting the thinking here to "What will work?" rather than focusing on "How can it fail?" will keep everyone excited.?

Each team will be different, but I encourage you to tap into some AI prompts to help your brainstorming session start off with ideas we're often too close to the problem to see on our own. In the end, your mileage may vary, but I'd love to hear what does and doesn't work with your team's next AI-fueled brainstorm!

Best,

Teja

1. 30 years ago this week, the artist formerly known as?Prince changed his name to a symbol, and the story behind the "why" is a wild ride.

2. It turns out that the most exhilarating and unique part of?the CIA's creative writing group, called Invisible Ink, is actually getting through Langley to speak with them.

3. Did you know Monopoly originally started as a way to warn about the dangers of terrible, greedy landlords??The Hidden Worlds of Monopoly?is a great dive into the history of the game.

4. See below.

This week, Teja sits down for round two with Kate O'Neil, who has moved into the CEO position at Teaming since the last time they talked. They discuss the differences that come with the transition to becoming a CEO, the importance of incorporating movement into your life, and why getting the best sleep comes down to the perfect sheets.?Audio and transcript here.?

We have 646 folks ready to interview and get to work this week. Here are three folks we'll hire if you don't:?

???Luke S,?a full-stack engineer with expertise in React-Redux-TypeScript frontends, Python, and AI/ML

???Zeel M,?a senior dev specializing in PHP, MySQL, APIs, Laravel, and JS, with an interest in product development

???Allan V, a backend engineer with experience in PHP, MySQL, Laravel, LAMP, and RESTful web services