Modern work lives in a state of constant noise. Between AI-generated tasks and the natural inertia of business processes, we often spend more time managing complexity than producing value. Mike Allen, Jim VandeHei, and Roy Schwartz address this issue in their new book, Simplify: Do 50% More with 50% Less.
The premise is straightforward. Most professionals lose years of their careers to habits that serve no real purpose. The authors propose an operating system built on three actions: Confront what you do, Delete what you should not do, and Amplify what brings achievement. This method functions as a survival guide for a high-velocity environment where artificial intelligence frequently adds to the distraction rather than removing it.
Research indicates that professionals lose two hours cleaning up individual instances of what the authors call AI workslop. By mass-producing drafts and dashboards, AI has become a engine of complexity. This book provides the tools to push back against that tide by teaching readers when to say no and how to remove friction from their daily operations.
The authors draw on lessons from major corporations like AT&T and Meta to illustrate how institutional bloat can be managed. The goal is to return time to the individual so they can focus on work that actually matters. Less is more, and the application of this mindset is intended to improve both professional output and personal satisfaction.