What if the "Zero-Human Company" everyone's hyping is actually a trap?
The frustrations behind it are real – managing humans is distracting, most early hires can barely pull their own weight, and getting to traction is often easier with 3 people than 15. But removing all humans strips out the ambition, the taste, the soul.
This episode lays out the counter-position: the Augmented-Human Company. A small, focused crew where AI removes what's holding each person back – so they can give the contribution only they can give. Real examples from Papermark, Typefully, Oleve, and Gamma. Plus the thread from Rob Walling's "Start Small, Stay Small" to Karpathy's Iron Man Suit metaphor.
Published live from MicroConf Portland – the very community built on intentional smallness.
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