Tesla has a rule of thumb: Assume the car did something wrong every time the diver moves the steering wheel while in “self driving mode”. If the driver steps on the brake or overrides the steering, Tesla does the OPPOSITE of giving the car “the benefit of the doubt”.

I do the same when I see paper. If I have to touch a pen to a piece of paper, whether to fill a form or sign a check, I assume somebody screwed up the process.

There are exceptions. Post-it notes will always have their place. Hand written notes are infinitely more secure than electronic communications (e.g., confidential offers made on the “back of a cocktail napkin”).

And it is good to have paper backups when electronic processes break down. An indoor amusement park could not receive waivers or accept payments when the mall network had issues. My family and a dozen others were not allowed to sign with a pen and pay with cash. We were not allowed into the park because no waiver = no insurance.

But there are far too many cases where paper is mandatory: Opening an account in many banks. Paying by check. Filling out forms.

What year is it?

There’s a ton of buzz around the transformational impact of AI, LLM’s, GPT, Grok, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, etc etc etc…

Many of these flashy AI companies still use clunky old-school resume scanning software… Forcing job candidates to manually re-enter lots of the info from their resumes. And these are the BEST companies, at the bleeding edge of technology.

Now consider the millions of small and mid sized businesses in the USA (and the world). Take a closer look at government agency processes. Do you have any idea how much paper mail is REQUIRED?

Even when paperless options are available, there are still pressures to use paper. Try relocating to USA from overseas. You need paper “proof of address” to get a driver’s license. An extended stay AirBnB will not qualify for DMV purposes.

We need to re-think basic processes with fresh eyes. When you see a piece of paper, when you get any letter in your mailbox… Assume that a process is probably broken, outdated or maybe outright stupid. Let it frustrate you. Let this frustration fuel your drive to make the world a better and more efficient place. Whether your employer, your utility bills, or your local government… Demand progress. Make it happen.

Be the change you want to see in the world. Waste less time and effort on paper. Stop chopping down trees to make future landfill garbage.

The future can be paperless. Make it happen.