From The Sourcing Paradox series · Week 2: The talent pipeline · First shared on LinkedIn, October 14, 2026
When AI takes over entry-level work, it's tempting to keep only senior people. On paper, the team looks lean.
In practice, your most expensive people end up checking AI output and handling exceptions, the work that used to train juniors. In my view, strategic work slows down and burnout goes up.
And when those senior people retire, there is no one ready to step into their roles.
A lean team isn't the smallest team. It's the one that can still run the function in five years.
The fix isn't to stop using AI. It's to keep a few seats where people learn by checking the AI's work, so judgment keeps growing underneath the senior layer. Tomorrow I'll share how I'd redesign that seat.
So when your best category director leaves, who steps in: someone you're developing now, an outside hire, or no one yet?
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