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Personal Productivity in the Age of AI

Module 4 — Codifying Expertise as Skills

Lesson 14: The Assembly Line — Decomposing Big Tasks

Last updated: 2026-05-12

Asking an assistant to do a complex thing in one shot tends to produce a competent but generic result. The remedy is older than computing: take the thing apart, work on each piece, and then put it back together in sequence.

Lesson 14: The Assembly Line — Decomposing Big Tasks

Blackboard

Take it apart before you ask

12 min
Pause and Think

Pick a piece of work you produce regularly that you wish were easier. Without thinking about a tool, can you list the sub-steps in the order you actually perform them?

Practice Question

Question

Does not count for certificate
Choose one answer, use the hint if needed, then check your answer.
Use the hint before checking if you need a nudge.