Why is it that some people work so much faster even though they use the same free AI tools?
The answer isn't a difference in ability, but a difference in how they "open" it.
Most people only open AI when they have a specific task.
They ask when they want to look something up. They paste text when they want a summary.
That is still useful. However, doing so leaves the most "delicious parts" of AI untouched.
The person who thoroughly utilizes those "delicious parts" is Tomoko Namba, the founder and chairwoman of DeNA.
Why a Former McKinsey Executive is Betting on AI
Ms. Namba is a person of logic and speed who founded DeNA after working as a consultant at McKinsey.
In 2024, DeNA officially announced that it would make AI one of the pillars of its business growth.
What's noteworthy is the content of that announcement.
Ms. Namba has repeatedly stated in interviews that AI should not be a tool just for specialized departments, but that the organization should operate on the premise that all employees master it in their daily work.
In other words, it's not treated as a "convenient tool to rely on occasionally," but as an existence that reconfigures the very foundation of work.
This approach is driven by just two principles.
One is "speed" to avoid stopping judgment.
The other is "initiative"—using it yourself before giving orders.
Both can be imitated starting today with zero budget.
Below, I will break this down into five habits.
Habit ①: Erase "I Don't Know" Within the Same Day
Technical terms flying around in meetings. Katakana words lined up in a client's documents.
You nod without understanding, and by the time you get home, you've lost the motivation to look them up.
This neglect gradually slows down your work.
Ms. Namba is an executive known for her overwhelming learning speed. When faced with an unknown field, she first goes to grasp the overview. AI now supports that initial speed.
The trick is to divide the questioning into two stages.
"Please explain this technology using analogies, as if you were teaching a newcomer."
First, get a simple understanding. Then, elevate it to practical application.
"Now, please list three points where people are likely to fail when introducing this technology into their work."
You can climb from a simple explanation to practical judgment in 5 minutes.
One word of caution: AI's explanation is an entry point, not the final answer. If you use it for important decisions, make it a set to verify with primary sources.
Habit ②: Let AI Write the First 60%
Planning documents, reports, email drafts.
The heaviest part of these tasks is not thinking about the content.
It's placing the first line on a blank page.
Ms. Namba's philosophy of speed management connects directly here. You eliminate the time humans spend groaning by using an AI draft.
For example, throw it like this:
"Give me 5 agenda ideas for tomorrow's meeting. Add one line explaining the goal of each." "Write the outline of this report in a 4-part structure: Conclusion, Reason, Evidence, and Next Steps."
What comes out can be a 60% effort.
It is a human's job to go in and mark it up, saying "this reason is weak" or "swap the order."
AI turns 0 into 1. Humans polish 1 into 10.
Not reversing this division of labor is the secret to speed.
Habit ③: Make It Disagree on Purpose
An idea thought up alone only has one person's perspective.
You wonder, "Is this really okay?" but have no one to verify it with.
So, make the AI an opponent rather than a supporter.
Thinking that pokes holes in logic has been Ms. Namba's weapon since her consultant days. Imagine making the AI play that role.
The point is to specify a standpoint.
"If you were the decision-maker for this proposal, list three reasons why you would reject it." "From the perspective of the toughest customer, point out the sticking points of this plan."
Counter-argue the returned opposition. Just by going back and forth a few times, the holes in the proposal are visibly filled.
By changing the standpoint to "boss," "competitor," or "first-time reader," you can complete a meeting cycle by yourself.
However, AI's points are strictly for identifying issues. You must always hold the final judgment on whether to adopt them.
Habit ④: AI Moves First, Humans Finish Later
Many people try to replace only a part of their current methods with AI.
If you do that, the effect is limited.
What Ms. Namba is promoting at DeNA is not adding AI later, but the idea of reconfiguring the order of work itself on the premise of AI.
It sounds grand, but what you do individually is simple.
First, write down your work for one week.
Then, ask this question for each task:
Does it fall under "researching, summarizing, translating, drafting, or sorting"?
Tasks that fit can almost entirely be shifted to AI.
Then, swap the order. Instead of humans moving their hands first, change the flow so that AI finishes the preparation and then the human finishes it.
For meeting minutes, let AI organize the key points from the recording, and then the human only handles verification and distribution.
Humans do the thinking work, AI does the organizing work.
Just by drawing this one line, your daily disposable time changes.
Habit ⑤: Become the Person Who Uses AI Most in the Team
Finally, this is less about individual skill and more about how to spread it.
Even if a company introduces AI tools, the front line often doesn't use them. This is a common sight, but the reason is simple.
It's because the higher-ups aren't using them.
Ms. Namba's stance demonstrates the principle of the top leader using it to the fullest in daily life. If an executive says, "Let's discuss based on the AI draft," the front line moves all at once.
This can be applied regardless of your position.
For example, decide that the first app you open in the morning is an AI.
Decide that email replies always start from an AI draft.
Fix "work that starts with AI" into your daily routine.
Initiative, not just orders.
To be honest, this is the plainest of the five. And it's the most effective.
It's Not "Only Possible Because She's an Executive"
To those who read this and felt, "That's a story for a top leader with resources."
It's the opposite.
None of the five habits introduced today require a budget or a dedicated team.
Erase unknowns. Let it write the 60%. Make it disagree. Swap the order. Use it every day.
All of it can be started today with a free AI and a single smartphone.
Ms. Namba's usage is superior not because she has expensive tools, but because she is thorough with the principles of "speed" and "initiative" that anyone can imitate.
Summary
- Erase "I don't know" with AI on the same day (verify with primary sources at the end).
- Don't face a blank page; let AI write the first 60%.
- Specify a standpoint and make it disagree on purpose.
- Reconfigure the order so AI does the prep and humans do the finishing.
- Become the person who uses AI the most in the team.
First, try typing this in today.
"If Tomoko Namba were my boss, what kind of critique would she give regarding how I'm progressing with today's work?"
Finally
One quick announcement.
On this account, I break down and share "how to ask and use AI" that can be stolen from top-tier executives and practitioners in this format.
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References
- Tomoko Namba, Bukakkou Keiei: Team DeNA no Chousen (Nikkei Publishing, 2013)
- DeNA Co., Ltd. Official Announcements/IR Materials (2024, regarding AI utilization policy)
- Various media interviews with Ms. Tomoko Namba (statements on company-wide generative AI use and speed management, 2023–2024)
