Definition
Steel manning
Arguing the strongest possible version of the position you disagree with. Ryan's ground rule for the panel.
From the episode “Tokens Go to Zero, Energy Goes to Zero: What Do You Build When Intelligence Is Free?”Hear it on the podcast1 episode
Learn the language of AI-native founders
Every week: the new terms, tools, and workflows founders are using, straight from the podcast.
Related terms in Leadership & Mindset
Sought-After LeadershipUma Subramanian's concept of the leadership profile that organizations actively compete to retain and promote: the combination of strategic thinking, high-impact communication, authentic executive presence, and genuine relationship-building. Distinct from technically excellent work; sought-after leaders are known across organizational boundaries, sought for cross-functional projects, and trusted by senior stakeholders. The gap between strong IC and sought-after leader is almost always a human edge gap — rarely a skills gap.StageIn restaurant hiring, a trial shift where a chef cooks in the actual kitchen before an offer. The chef in Shar's case study did four-day stages.Stage-Appropriate HiringThe discipline of hiring to functions that match the current stage of the company, not the desired future stage. Hiring marketing or sales before the product exists creates expensive activity theater — people who fill time rather than build real leverage. Ohad hired support and marketing staff too early and counts it as his most expensive mistake.Stakeholder InfluenceThe capacity to move senior leaders, peers, and direct reports toward shared goals without relying on formal authority or positional power. Stakeholder influence is built through authentic relationship investment (knowing what matters to each person, not just their title), consistent delivery, and communication that connects your work to their priorities. Distinct from political maneuvering: authentic influence compounds over time, while performative relationship-building is detected and erodes credibility. In the AI era, stakeholder influence is among the least replicable human capabilities — it requires genuine trust built through repeated human interaction.Steel-manBuilding the strongest possible version of an opposing argument, the opposite of a straw-man.Stillness DividendThe disproportionate creative and strategic return generated from unscheduled, undirected time away from active work. The insight that changes a founder's trajectory is more likely to surface on a solo drive or a snowboard day than in a back-to-back calendar block.Structural DensityThe internal and external state of clarity and alignment where all domains of life reflect the same intentional order - clean environment, clean diet, clean finances, clean mind.Supply Chain StaffingViewing workforce allocation as a logistical and forecasting problem.