Recently, the tech and financial markets got a wake-up call when Chinese AI firm DeepSeek showed that it could develop artificial intelligence processing significantly cheaper than its competitors. 🤖🦾

The story behind this provides a valuable lesson for all of us—even if we're not Silicon Valley gurus.

The saga goes like this.

It's been widely reported that the granddaddy of AI apps, ChatGPT, was ultraexpensive 💰💰💰 to build. Its system demanded the most seasoned experts, the fastest chip tech, and megawatts of power to make it all work. 🔌

But DeepSeek chose a different path.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, its leader Liang Wenfeng used simpler, less costly chips. What's more, it filled its tech roles with fresh graduates and novice workers.

Experience, he shared, is a potential obstacle.

Liang said, “When doing something, experienced people will tell you without hesitation that you should do it this way, but inexperienced people will have to repeatedly explore and think seriously about how to do it, and then find a solution that suits the current actual situation.”

➡️ Which of course got me asking the question: does experience REALLY get in our way? 🚧

Depending on what's happening for you, the answer might be . .. yes.

Experience gets in our way when:

🔎 We avoid getting help now, thinking we need to rely on ourselves alone (sounds like: "I should have figured this out by now.")

🎯 We assume we know why one of our important work relationships is frustrating the jelly beans out of us (sounds like: "they don't care about . . .")

🪣 We overwork projects or overthink plans, exhausting ourselves and feeling resentful (sounds like: "If I don't do it, who will?")

So what does the beginner do?

The beginner ASKS.

For help. For more information. For insights, guidance, direction.

The beginner releases any expectation of themselves that they should know/do/think anything. They don't hold themselves to an impossible standard of accomplishment and achievement.

The beginner is proud of what they can do, rather than diminishing themselves for what they can't.

So tell me this, Reader—where do YOU need to be a beginner again? Where might experience be dragging you down vs moving you forward? Hit REPLY and share your story--it's always good to hear back from you.

Now, don't get me wrong. Experience IS valuable and incredibly important. We can trust experience in a world that's low on trust. 🎲

But sometimes—especially when we're stuck, frustrated, or exhausted—we need to channel our inner beginner again.

Working with me is a way to do just that.

It's a good time to begin again. Talk to you soon.

Always, Darcy

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P.S. My clients hire me for all sorts of reasons. For one, her work stress has started to negatively influence her results and her relationships (inside and outside the company). Another is frustrated that a few of the leaders he leads aren’t collaborating and or delivering in the way he needs them to—and he's afraid the problem starts with him. One more believed that the only solution to reduce the pressure she's under is to retire, but before resorting to that drastic measure, she wanted to try new strategies. (Pssst: it's working.)

​Start here to schedule your conversation with me, or just hit REPLY. Can't wait to hear from you--D