ICYMI 2026-07-04: Structural Debt
Our weekly roundup of signals from the AI noise, for humans leading change.
Open Knowledge Format
Incipient spec from Google for encoding knowledge in Markdown + YAML — basically, standardizing the kind of text-based knowledge graph many of us have been building in Obsidian. Soon you’ll be called to articulate your organization’s tacit knowledge into content LLMs can use. When you do, it’ll look something like this. Start experimenting now.
AI’s effect on middle management
A small study of how consultancies are using AI concluded that both juniors and execs are getting the most value from it — at the expense of middle managers, who now have to verify that the output is good. Subsidiarity is a key design feature of effective complex adaptive systems. Your org is one of them: your managers hold local context. Think twice before overloading (or worse, firing) them. (HBR gift link)
Gen AI and Taxonomies
Large language models work best given the right context — including the ability for agents to find the stuff they need. “Old school” taxonomies help a lot. And conversely, LLMs can help us create better taxonomies. Heather Hedden covering what feels like an essential — and for the most part, underappreciated — idea: that smart systems must be propped up by a lot of structure.
How AI is changing marketing
McKinsey claims over half of consumers are using AI to make purchasing decisions. But that’s only part of it: AI is fundamentally changing how marketing is done. But it won’t happen with ‘bolt on’ solutions. Instead, reinventing marketing calls for a complete redesign of how organizations market their wares. I’m biased, but several of the “new” roles described in here read like “information architect” to me.
Traction Heroes Ep. 39: Pace Layers
AI makes prototyping easy. But moving from prototype to production requires lots of architecture. In the latest episode of our podcast, Harry Max and I nerd out on one of the models that has most influenced my work: pace layers. If you think design is about making screens frictionless, easier to use, or (for Pete’s sake!) more attractive, you’re focused on the wrong layer.