Newsletter: Relationships are the human layer
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I am leaving Siem Reap with one idea stuck in my head: relationships are the human layer of an agentic world.
I went to Cambodia for a private gathering built around business conversations, time together, and temple tours. Some people asked why I went. The practical answer is that I am investing in relationships.
Agents can help us research, organize, draft, and follow up. They can give us leverage. But trust still grows through shared experiences, honest conversation, and showing up. That is one reason Fellowship is the theme for the eighth annual Cross Border Summit.
What I am up to now
- Relationships Are the Human Layer: Why human trust becomes more valuable as agents create more leverage.
- Bangkok Advanced Seller Dinner: A strong room of long-time community members and impressive new ecommerce operators.
- Step Away to Find the Gaps: Travel exposed the parts of my agentic workflows that still depend on me quietly patching problems.
- China Trade-Show Season: Next comes Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, trade shows, meetings, and showing my son Huaqiangbei.
You can also read the full Bangkok Advanced Seller Dinner recap.
After about a year and a half of nonstop development, I keep returning to the phrase hardening and polishing. The real test is not whether a workflow works while I am sitting beside it. The real test is what happens when I step away.
Yes, I am stressed. Yes, I am overloaded. But the pressure is useful when it shows me where the next improvement is waiting.
What part of your work only reveals its weaknesses when you step away? Join the discussion on the weekly board.
Mike
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