[Zagreus2142]

Very funny read from the MBA set when the same collapse is happening in software itself. He's saying MBAs are going to have to shift to data analysis and product design roles, as if those aren't being eaten by the very same processes.

But I don't say this to belittle the author, I just mean funny in how people are all grasping around the same elephant (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant). I don't claim to have special insight here, just noticing that this is happening across many diverse professions. My personal theory is that we reached the point of diminishing returns of what can be built and effectuated via software or people management and at some point an economy can't bear the dead weight of people pulling down six figure salaries by moving some javascript or PowerPoint slides around, while the base of the economy (industry, farming, energy production, transportation) dies from lack of investment.

[Animats]

See the general subject of "elite overproduction".

It's not clear at all where "AI" is going. Once AIs get reliable enough to be put in charge of things, rather than being merely advisory, we will have a very different society. Everybody here has probably read the late Marshall Brain's "Manna", which outlines how that might play out.

(I'm reading Pikkety's new "Capital and Ideology". Not far enough in to comment yet.)

[whynotminot]

> at some point an economy can't bear the dead weight of people pulling down six figure salaries by moving some javascript or PowerPoint slides around, while the base of the economy (industry, farming, energy production, transportation) dies from lack of investment.

What if the base of the economy is well-paid power point rangers buying stuff? Because that’s what most of our economy is: consumer spending.

It’s some sort of myth that the American farmer is the core of our economy or something.

[palmotea]

> What if the base of the economy is well-paid power point rangers buying stuff? Because that’s what most of our economy is: consumer spending.

Those "well-paid power point rangers" can't be the base of the economy: properly understood, they're an exploitative/parasite class sitting more towards the top of the pyramid.

[whynotminot]

Are we talking about base in an architectural sense or base as in their spending actually does underpin most of the economy.

One of these is relevant to the conversation.

[emorning4]

>>What if the base of the economy is well-paid power point rangers buying stuff? <<

Moody's says that the top 20% of earners are supporting the economy right now... https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/18/business/us-k-shaped-economy-...

[_DeadFred_]

"We used to make shit in this country, build shit. Now all we do is put our hand in the next guy's pocket."

[p_v_doom]

> My personal theory is that we reached the point of diminishing returns of what can be built and effectuated via software or people management

I dont think so. There are amazing things that can be done with either, but they require a completely different way of structuring companies, removing the profit motive, or getting rid of a whole lot of "conventional wisdom" and old people.

There are a lot of amazing things that can be done via the management side of things, but have all but been sidelined since the rise of neoliberalism in the 80s and the MBA-ification of management in the 90s and 00s. Doesnt help that these approaches would require that managers are actually competent and learn to work with complexity, data and the like.