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When I first entered the workforce, my mantra was simple: Do whatever it takes. So when I was organizing and running programming for an event early in my career and the need for visitor transportation came up, I didnt hesitate. Thats how I ended up behind the wheel of a 12-person Sprinter vandoing pickups, drop-offs, and general schlepping in between running the actual event. Saying yes to every extra task doesnt make you indispensable. It makes you exhausted. And worse, it raises the question of your value as an employee. Are you just duct tape slapped over a leak when needed, or is there real substance and strategy to your role in the organization? A stretch project that builds skills or visibility? Now, thats worth stepping up for. But, extra work that adds no upside except more caffeine paired with a shot of anxiety? Not so much. Ah, but theres always a catch, and in this case, its a tricky one. We want to keep our jobs, impress our managers, and ideally get promoted. This is, after all, our careers were talking about. So the question becomes: How do you say no to extra work without looking like a slacker? It comes down to communicating boundaries in a way that demonstrates clarity, professionalism, and commitment to outcomes. Anchor in Your Priorities The first strategy is to make your no about what you are doing, not what you arent. The fastest way to get labeled not a team player is to just say no. This isnt D.A.R.E. The smarter move is to show what youre focused on and why it matters. Try framing your response around impact instead: Id love to help, but I need to stay focused on delivering X by the end of the week. If this new task is a priority, lets discuss what gets shifted so that can happen. Youre not avoiding responsibility, youre managing it. By being clear about your workload and bandwidth youre reminding your manager that resources are finite. And, by anchoring in your priorities, youre signaling that you know how to make thoughtful choices, not frantic ones. Offer an Alternative Sometimes a no can feel harsh. Thats where the second strategy comes in: redirecting. Offering an alternative shows youre flexible without overcommitting. This could look like offering to take on a smaller piece of the work, proposing a revised schedule, or simply extending the timeline: I cant take this on right now, but I can jump in next week once I wrap Y project. And heres the bonus, because we all love a little lagniappe (that lil something extra, as they say in New Orleans): Offering alternatives doesnt diminish credibility. It builds it by showing youre thinking like a problem-solver, not a martyr. (See my article on workplace martyrdom for more on why that mindset is so dangerous.) Zooming Out: The Big Picture And finally, zoom out. The third strategy is to reframe boundaries not as personal preference, but as organizational protection. The biggest fear people have about saying no is how it will look. But, and this is a big ol but, theres a difference between looking like a slacker and actually being a slacker. You were hired to do a job, and that job likely came with a description and a somewhat defined scope. There wasnt (I hope) an expectation that you were signing your life away with an open tab on your time. Theres also a ripple effect when people keep saying yes: It convinces leadership that no extra resources are needed, or worse, that priorities are clear when theyre not. Overflow work gets absorbed, masking the fact that the team could use more support. Ironically, saying yes to everything can keep your company from making the very decisions that would help everyone succeed. Boundaries arent laziness: theyre strategy. They signal that you understand the value of your time, and that youre willing to protect it. I still cringe when I think about that Sprinter van. But it was the lesson I neededand like many early-career professionals, not one I learned quickly. Heres hoping youre a faster learner than I was.
Category:
E-Commerce
Agentic AI is redrawing the boundaries of value creation in corporate America. Gartner projects that by 2028, 33% of enterprise software applications will incorporate agentic AI, and at least 15% of daily business decisions will be made autonomously by AI agents. The AI race isnt about building the most sophisticated algorithms, its about whether employees actually adopt these digital collaborators and use them to expose inefficiencies long hidden in plain sight. Yet many business leaders are still grappling with how to integrate agentic AI seamlessly into existing operations, and deliver meaningful results. A recent MIT Nanda report found that 95% of AI pilots fail. The core barrier? The learning gap, a disconnect between what the tools can do, and how organizations leverage them. The same report noted that buying AI solutions from specialized vendors succeeds around 67% of the time, while in-house builds succeed only a third as often. RETHINK WORK AT THE ATOMIC LEVEL Agentic AI isnt just another automation tool, its a new way of automating. Its true potential lies in reimagining work at its most granular level: breaking down complex processes into smaller, modular components that can be quickly reconfigured for maximum flexibility and impact by LLM-driven systems and reasoning. Consider the music industrys digital transformation. When the world shifted from CDs to digital downloads, record labels no longer had to sell entire albums to move a single hit. Tracks could be released individually, targeting specific audiences, and responding instantly to demand. Agentic AI lets work evolve the same way. Instead of forcing employees through rigid, linear processes, AI agents can identify whats needed in each moment, suggest next steps, and help people move forward while still ensuring all compliance requirements and approvals. Every step becomes a point of value creation, not just a box to check. Now, the energy once lost to bureaucracy gets redirected toward more meaningful progress that drives improved business outcomes. EXPOSE HIDDEN INEFFICIENCIES One of agentic AIs most powerful capabilities is surfacing inefficiencies that go unnoticed under legacy systems. When workflows become more visibleand dramatically fasterflaws built up over years are suddenly impossible to ignore. At one large industrial company, a frontline employee needed to order a $50 backpack from a trusted supplier. On paper, the process looked fine, a simple purchase order flowing through the required workflows. But when an agentic AI was implemented, the reality was clear: The request required seven separate approvals, each one adding delay. The AI didnt just move through the workflows faster; it turned the entire process into a conversation, exposing how much unnecessary friction had crept in over time. That visibility sparked an important discussion: Did they really need so many layers of sign-off for such a routine expense? The technology made the inefficiency undeniable, but it took a cultural and compliance shift within the company to actually eliminate the redundancy. By combining automation with organizational will, the company not only streamlined purchases but also gained insight into how work actually gets done, building momentum for broader changes regarding outdated processes. FROM RIGID TO RESPONSIVE Traditional enterprise software enforces strict compliance: every field filled, every form completed, every step followed in order. But work in the real world is rarely so tidy. Employees operate with partial information and constantly adapt to shifting priorities. Agentic AI changes the equation. It adapts to how people work, not the other way around. AI agents capture whats available, ask follow-up questions later, and complete tasks dynamically as information emerges. The most advanced agentic deployments go further. When a major movie studios engineering team noticed unexplained server spikes, their ambient AI scanned logs, release schedules, and forums, revealing leaked content driving traffic from torrent sites. It flagged the issue and suggested scaling options, while the agentic AI spun up extra servers and alerted the security team, immediately turning insight into action. These breakthroughs only matter if people actually use the tools. Thats where most enterprises stumble. THE REALITY OF RESISTANCE Many organizations are already overwhelmed by digital complexity. Employees face fragmented workflows, siloed teams, and outdated systems. Agentic AI wont erase this complexity overnight, and adoption will be uneven. Thats why successful implementations dont force new processes or best practices. Instead, agentic systems leverage how work already happens, and makes it easier. Agentic AI wont debate how you onboard vendors or process reimbursements, they just help get it done faster and with less friction. This builds trust. When employees see AI agents handling tasks they already do like finding files, filling out forms, or submitting requests theyre more likely to engage. And the best agentic systems dont just wait for instructions; they reach out proactively, helping people stay one step ahead. The more useful and interactive the assistant, the faster adoption spreads. CAREER IMPLICATIONS Working with AI is fast becoming a core career skill. Employees who learn to collaborate with AI agents by asking smart questions, interpreting insights, and applying them to real-world challenges will be better prepared as roles evolve. This isnt about replacing humans, but amplifying their capabilities. Those who master conversational AI, navigate multiple systems, and use AI to manage complexity will accomplish what once took entire teams. That fluency will set top performers apart. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR TOMORROW PwCs Value in motion report predicts AI adoption could boost global GDP by up to 15% by 2035, an impact on par with the industrial revolution. But realizing that future requires responsible deployment, clear governance, and a culture of trust. The workplace of the future will be built on collaboration between people and AI. Companies that get this right will break down silos, eliminate waste, and empower employees to focus on what matters most. The technology is ready; the real challenge is building cultures that value transparency over complexity and see AI agents as essential partners, not threats. Agentic AI wins when people use it because it makes their jobs easier, shines a light on hidden inefficiencies, and unlocks new ways of working that were once out of reach. Bhavin Shah is founder and CEO of Movework.
Category:
E-Commerce
I grew up in the Netherlands, so I know the upsides of living in Europe. I also know how hard it is to build a company here. The rules change across borders, funding is limited, and things move slower than they should. When we started Remote, we knew we had to think globally but also anchor in the U.S. Its the biggest tech market, and succeeding there gives you the best chance to scale everywhere else. That choice wasnt unique to us. More and more European founders are making the same call.Whats changed is the timing of the move. Expanding to the U.S. used to happen once companies were well-established in Europe. Now theyre showing up earlier and moving faster. Index Ventures found that 64% of startups expand to the U.S. at preseed or seed stage now, an increase from the 2015-2019 rate of 33%. WHY IT MATTERS This shift matters for American businesses. European startups are arriving with funding and moving in as both competitors and potential partners. That changes how U.S. companies compete for capital, customers, and talent. Spotify did this early. They started in Sweden in 2006 and quickly expanded into the U.S. They opened offices, built partnerships, and kept much of their engineering base in Europe. U.S. investment anchored them in the American market. It gave them credibility with local customers, visibility with partners, and the resources to scale fast. By the time they raised their $1 billion Series F, led by a U.S. VC, they were ready to take on Apple. Today, they lead the streaming market. So why is this happening now? On paper, Europe is a huge market. In reality, its fragmented. Tax, labor, and compliance rules differ from one country to the next. Expanding from France into Germany can be as complex as expanding from Europe into Asia. Late-stage capital is harder to find, which slows growth, and enterprise customers are slower to move on smaller deals. Thats why European startups are looking to the U.S. earlier. American buyers move faster, spend more, and make decisions quickly. The U.S. is still the market that signals credibility, and winning there carries weight abroad. Enterprise buyers in other regions often want proof a product works there before they commit. These moves benefit more than just the startups. They raise the bar for everyone by pushing U.S. companies to get leaner, scale faster, and think globally. 4 TAKEAWAYS So what should U.S. founders take away from all this? 1. Dont slow down European founders are showing up with clear goals and aggressive timelines. If youre in a crowded market, theyll be chasing the same deals, talent, and capital. Use that pressure to improve your product and move faster. 2. Build with discipline European founders often scale with fewer resources and smaller teams. They build distributed companies early, with strong culture and tight alignment. Instead of debating office models, they figure out how to work across borders and time zones. That discipline can give U.S. companies an edge on speed and cost. 3. Think global from day one European startups dont have a big home market. They build for multiple markets early, which means products that work across languages, currencies, and regulations. U.S. companies that do the same are better positioned to scale fast and win abroad. 4. Work with them, not against them Working with these companies can give you access to new markets, talent, and expertise. Investors who back them get exposure to broader networks and operating models. Treat partnership as a growth strategy. My advice to American founders: Dont ignore this wave. The best European startups are already here. Competing with them or working alongside them will make your company better. Dont see it as a threat. Learn from it. Job van der Voort is CEO and cofounder of Remote.
Category:
E-Commerce
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