At LiveAPI, We Bet on Human Desire for Evolution, Not Laziness

Why "Bet on Laziness" Works

Humans rely heavily on habits. These habits are "cached thoughts"—pre-computed ideas and procedures that save us from the effort of active reasoning and decision-making. By reducing the burden of thinking through every step, habits make daily life easier.

That's why "bet on laziness" works: People will rather rely on precomputed thoughts than try to think of something original, so to speak. And indeed, as Alan Kay phrased it :

There's news and new. News is about incremental improvements to existing category we already know. This war, that killing, this marriage, etc. [.] In contrast, real new is invisible. It is a new category. As McLuhan said, "Until I believe it, I can't see it"

The Scaling Effect: Teams and Organizations

The idea of "bet on laziness" works even more effectively at the organizational level.

• Teams: Each individual in a team depends on his or her own habits and creates friction against new ideas and behaviors. Teams aggregate into departments, and the resistance is further amplified. Departments aggregate into organizations, and the aggregated friction becomes enormous.

Organizations become quite hard to change once they are set in their ways. This is why "change management" exists—to fight against the natural human resistance to new initiatives and ideas.

The idea of "bet on laziness" can be considered a negative or cynical view of human nature, conduct and aspirations. It seems to me as though - many business pundits take such a cynical view because their view is too micro. Consider motor cars or airplanes: while they could be seen as victories of "laziness," they can also be framed as triumphs of the human desire for evolution.

Humans always look to do something greater and meaningful. They gladly give up repetitive work in favor of progress. In this light, "bet on human desire for evolution" captures a more intelligent and positive view of human nature.

The LiveAPI Approach

At LiveAPI, we "bet on human desire for evolution, not laziness." We free people from drudgery; we give them time and energy to aim higher.

This is how we serve civilization: by building the tools and systems that would enable individuals and teams to focus on what really matters, helping them move closer to a better and a more meaningful future.