Automation vs. Hiring: The Bet Every Leader Is Making Right Now

I've been thinking a lot about this a lot lately.

We're at this weird crossroads where automation is stupid easy to implement. A few clicks, maybe some API calls, and boom—you've replaced what used to be someone's full-time job.

And look, I get the appeal. Fewer mistakes. Lower overhead. Things running while you sleep.

But here's where it gets interesting.

Every time we choose automation over hiring, we're making a bet. We're betting that efficiency today is worth more than capability tomorrow.

Because here's what automation can't do:

It can't develop the institutional knowledge that saves your bacon when things go sideways. It can't bring fresh ideas to your Monday morning meeting. It can't mentor the next generation of your team. And it definitely can't pivot when the market does something nobody saw coming.

Don't get me wrong—I'm not anti-automation. In fact, I use automation all the time at home—backups, finances, home automation, etc—and we use it at Lucus Labs all the time too. But we use it to amplify people, not replace them.

The real question isn't "automation or hiring?"

It's "what are we building for?"

If you're optimizing for next quarter, automation wins every time. If you're building something that needs to adapt, innovate, and grow over the next ten years? You need people.

So here's my question for you:

Where are you placing your bet? Are you leaning into automation to stay lean, investing in people to build capability, or finding some third path I haven't thought of yet?

Drop a comment—I'm genuinely curious how other leaders are thinking through this. And if this resonates, give it a repost. Let's get more people in on this conversation.

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