Compressing the Hype Cycle: A Modern-Day Parable (with ChatGPT)

Write a parable in the style of Scott Adams about using the Grief Cycle and Self-Differentiation to accelerate innovation through the Hype Cycle

ChatGPT Prompt

In the land of perpetual PowerPoint decks and KPIs, there were two central characters: Zip, the Innovator, and Grind, the Implementer. Zip was a high-energy visionary with big ideas, her head always in the clouds of “transformative change” and “next-gen disruption.” Grind, on the other hand, was a meticulous planner who believed that innovation only counted when it worked on Tuesday mornings at 9 a.m. He liked practical things, like to-do lists, deadlines, and enough caffeine to keep him skeptical.

One Monday morning, Zip sprinted over to Grind’s desk, holding a crumpled napkin with a sketch of her latest brainstorm: the Hype Cycle Compressor.

“Grind, this is it! The Hype Cycle Compressor will make our team immune to hype and speed us straight to productive innovation,” Zip said, beaming with pride. “Think about it—no more false starts or disappointment spirals! Just pure, fast-tracked progress!”

Grind raised an eyebrow, glancing at the napkin sketch. It looked suspiciously like an air fryer with an antenna. “Let me guess—you haven’t exactly figured out how it works yet.”

“That’s where you come in,” Zip replied confidently.

Phase 1: Creating Tension, Faster

Within days, Zip had managed to get everyone talking about the Hype Cycle Compressor. It was all anyone could discuss in the cafeteria, and suddenly, words like “disruption,” “moonshot,” and “paradigm shift” were flying around. Zip was thrilled, basking in the early hype as though it was already a smashing success.

Grind, however, saw this as the beginning of a potential mess. He knew all too well that high-flying ideas often came crashing down, leaving him to figure out why the team was in a collective funk. So he did what he always did: he started a list of potential problems. “We’re going to hit a wall,” he muttered to himself, “and someone needs to be ready when it happens.”

Just as the hype was reaching its peak, an unexpected character wandered into the picture. She was a lean, laid-back figure with wire-rimmed glasses, a beat-up notepad, and an aura of calm intensity. Her name was Drift, the Self-Reflection Coach, a “consultant” who had mysteriously appeared on the payroll after a mindfulness workshop no one remembered signing up for.

Zip rolled her eyes at Drift’s meditation breaks, while Grind dismissed her as a corporate trend. But Drift was neither phased nor surprised; she had seen a thousand Zips and Grinds before.

One day, Drift cornered the two of them in the break room and said, “I hear you’re building a Hype Cycle Compressor. Sounds like you’re about to hit some serious tension. Good. That means it’s time to practice the art of productive grieving.”

Zip blinked, puzzled. “Grieving? But we’re trying to avoid all the disillusionment!”

“Exactly the problem,” Drift said. “True compression doesn’t mean skipping disappointment. It means using it to align faster. But first, you need to learn to hold the tension.”

Grind smirked. “I already know how to handle tension. That’s my job.”

Drift looked at them both knowingly. “Oh, you’ll see soon enough.”

Phase 2: Holding Tension – The Art of Productive Grieving

Just as Drift predicted, the Hype Cycle Compressor started showing cracks. Their initial plans fell apart, deadlines slipped, and complaints started brewing. The prototype sat awkwardly in the middle of the office, surrounded by skeptical stares. Zip felt the familiar sting of the Trough of Disillusionment, while Grind’s list of potential problems had grown into a small novel. The tension between them grew thick, threatening to stall the entire project.

Drift, sensing a teachable moment, called them both into the conference room. “Listen,” she said, pulling out her notepad, “the only way forward is to grieve the fact that this isn’t going as planned. Instead of rushing through disappointment, let’s acknowledge it.”

Zip squirmed. “Acknowledge it? Like, sit around and feel sad?”

Drift nodded. “Exactly. This is the part where you admit that things aren’t perfect and maybe even feel disappointed. Grieve the gap between your vision and reality. Then you can move forward with clarity.”

Grind looked at Drift with cautious interest. “So… grieving makes us more productive?”

“Precisely,” Drift replied. “You both need to hold this tension together. Zip, accept that it’s okay for the Compressor to be less than a world-changer. And Grind, let go of needing every little thing to be perfect right now. Holding the tension together will give you the insight to see what’s truly valuable here.”

Reluctantly, Zip and Grind sat down and listed every frustration, unmet expectation, and flaw in the Compressor. It was uncomfortable, but as they shared their disappointments, something shifted. By the end of the meeting, they had cleared the air, and Drift could see the subtle, but crucial, shift in their thinking.

Phase 3: Resolving Tension – Faster Realignment, Better Acceleration

With Drift’s guidance, Zip and Grind started approaching their work differently. Rather than bouncing between hype and doubt, they learned to catch themselves earlier, re-aligning with each small failure and rapidly pivoting. The Compressor itself evolved, not as an all-in-one miracle device, but as a method for quickly processing setbacks and clarifying goals. Each time they faced a setback, they’d remind each other of Drift’s mantra: “Hold the tension, then let it go.”

Zip found herself looking forward to Grind’s feedback, knowing that his skepticism was the key to faster improvements. Grind, meanwhile, began to appreciate Zip’s relentless optimism, realizing it wasn’t reckless—it was fuel that kept the machine’s momentum alive. They weren’t just building a machine; they were building a system for accelerated, sustainable innovation.

When they presented the new Hype Cycle Compressor to management, they described it as a way to fast-track innovation by compressing the time spent in each phase—not skipping over them, but using the tensions to fuel faster adaptation and alignment. Drift, satisfied, slipped out the back as they finished their presentation with a new motto:

“Compressing the Hype Cycle: Innovation Through Accelerated Tension.”

Epilogue: The True Power of the Hype Cycle Compressor

With their new mindset, Zip and Grind took on every project with fresh eyes. By grieving unmet expectations and realigning sooner, they moved through the peaks and troughs of innovation without getting lost in the noise. They taught their team Drift’s “art of productive grieving,” and it became part of the company culture, enabling everyone to face setbacks, hold tension, and realign at high speed.

In time, Drift became a company legend. Her name was whispered with reverence, and her wisdom echoed in every project meeting: “Innovation isn’t about avoiding disappointment; it’s about processing it faster to accelerate progress.”

And in the lobby, a new slogan appeared, etched in shiny stainless steel:

“Hold the Tension, Grieve the Gap, Accelerate Forward.”

And thus, in that unlikely office, Zip, Grind, and Drift created a culture of true Incarnational Innovation, where managing relational tension was the secret to compressing the Hype Cycle—and accelerating meaningful progress.