The hum of the espresso machine struggled against the determined chirp of cicadas outside the reclaimed wood windows. Another ‘Ideation Summit’ was well underway, the air thick with the scent of artisanal kombucha and the faint metallic tang of ambition. Around me, people hunched over whiteboards scribbled with ‘synergistic disruption’ and ‘leveraging blockchain for social good.’ A few brave souls even perched on those ergonomic beanbags, trying to look comfortable while discussing ‘paradigm shifts.’ The CEO, a man who consistently bought companies just before they hit big, not after, strode to the stage, projector bathing him in a hopeful, almost holy glow. He spoke of ‘agile sprints’ and ‘failing fast,’ words that felt both exhilarating and strangely hollow in this perfectly curated echo chamber.
Polishing the Clock
Focus on surface, miss systemic flaws.
The Innovation Engine
Initial burst of thirty-six ideas.
Reality Integration
Finance’s chilling finality.
Just last week, I’d found myself doing a deep dive on Avery J.-M., the new online reputation manager our corporate overlords had hired. Not because I was tasked to, but because… well, let’s just say a comment she’d made in a virtual meeting, something about ‘controlling the narrative,’ had snagged in my mind like a burr. I’d Googled her, of course. Not to stalk, but to understand the architecture of her world, the subtle art of polishing
