An AIoT Evangelist | Startup Founder | Keynote Speaker | Thought Leader | Author | Social Media Influencer
At some point, you stop trying to predict everything.
Not because you stopped caring.
But because you understood the limits of control.
Uncertainty stops feeling like a threat.
It becomes a condition of the work.
The doodle character walks calmly here. Shoulders relaxed.
Acceptance brings calm.
Calm improves decisions.
I did not expect this feeling to arrive so quietly.
No dramatic moment.
No emotional breakdown.
Just a soft question that kept returning while I stared at my screen.
Should I stop writing eBooks about IoT, startups, and entrepreneurship?
I have written several eBooks over the years. Some came from years of experience building platforms. Some from scars earned while running a startup. Some from observing founders struggle with the same blind spots again and again.
I made them free.
No paywall.
No upsell tricks.
Just knowledge, stories, and lessons shared openly.
Yet after my last three books (Hello IoT, The Favoriot Way: A Life Built on Curiosity and Courage, Favoriot : The Journey of an IoT Startup), something felt off.
Downloads slowed.
Shares dropped.
The quiet became louder.
At first, I blamed myself.
Maybe the topics are stale.
Maybe I am repeating myself.
Maybe people are tired of hearing from me.
Then another thought crept in.
Or maybe the world has changed.
I noticed something about my own habits before blaming anyone else.
I no longer Google as much.
I open ChatGPT.
I type a question.
I get an answer.
Direct.
Fast.
Clean.
And here is the uncomfortable truth.
I am guilty too.
I ask AI to summarise books.
I ask for key takeaways.
I skim instead of sitting with pages.
Who am I to complain when I do the same thing?
That realisation stung.
Because I used to love reading slowly. Highlighting sentences. Rereading paragraphs. Letting ideas sit for days.
Now, time feels compressed. Attention feels borrowed. Everything competes for mental space.
This is not about AI replacing writers.
It is about AI changing readers.
People no longer want to search.
They want answers.
They no longer want ten blog posts.
They want one response.
They no longer want to explore.
They want to arrive.
Why buy a book when a prompt gives you a clean summary?
Why spend hours reading when minutes feel enough?
That question hurts writers, but it is not wrong.
Books were once a journey.
Now they are treated like databases.
Tell me what matters. Skip the rest.
I hear people complain about attention spans all the time.
But I do not think it is laziness.
I think it is survival.
We are flooded with inputs. Messages. Alerts. Updates. Noise.
Reading a 150-page eBook feels heavy when your mind is already full.
The new generation did not lose patience.
They adapted to overload.
They want clarity, not volume.
Direction, not depth.
At least not by default.
Making my eBooks free was supposed to remove friction.
Yet free does not mean easy.
Reading still costs time.
Thinking still costs energy.
AI removed that cost.
One prompt feels cheaper than one chapter.
So why am I surprised?
I keep asking myself something uncomfortable.
Am I writing for impact, or am I writing out of habit?
In the past, writing eBooks felt like leaving a trail behind. Something lasting. Something searchable. Something meaningful.
Now it feels like throwing paper planes into a sky full of drones.
They fly faster.
They reach further.
They respond instantly.
Paper planes still matter.
But fewer people look up.
AI feels like a conversation.
Books feel like a lecture.
That difference matters.
People want interaction. They want follow-up questions. They want context tailored to their situation.
A book cannot ask back.
AI can.
And that changes expectations.
I did not write eBooks just for readers.
I wrote to think.
Writing forced clarity.
It slowed my thoughts.
It made experiences visible.
If I stop writing books, what replaces that?
Blogs?
Short posts?
Conversations?
Voice notes?
I do not know yet.
That uncertainty is unsettling.
Here is a thought I am still wrestling with.
Books may no longer be entry points.
They may become reference points.
Not where people start, but where they return when they want depth.
AI gives direction.
Books give texture.
AI answers questions.
Books explain why the questions matter.
But fewer people reach that stage.
Another truth I had to face.
I assumed free meant valuable.
I assumed experience meant relevance.
Neither guarantees attention.
The world does not owe writers readers.
Attention is earned every day.
Even by those who have written before.
When I say I feel like stopping, I am not quitting writing.
I am questioning the format.
Maybe eBooks are not where my thoughts want to live anymore.
Maybe ideas want to breathe in smaller spaces.
Or in stories.
Or in conversations.
Or maybe fewer books, written slower, with deeper intent.
I am not sure yet.
AI has changed how we read.
AI has changed why we read.
AI has changed when we read.
That shift is real. It is not a phase.
Fighting it feels pointless.
Understanding it feels necessary.
I can keep writing eBooks and accept fewer readers.
I can stop writing books and find new ways to share ideas.
Or I can redefine what a book means in a world that no longer reads the same way.
Right now, I am sitting with the discomfort.
No dramatic announcement.
No final decision.
Just honesty.
I still believe ideas matter.
I still believe stories shape thinking.
I still believe writing is worth doing.
But I no longer believe format guarantees relevance.
Maybe the real question is not whether I stop writing eBooks.
Maybe it is whether I am brave enough to write differently.
If you are a writer, a reader, or someone who quietly stopped reading books, I would love to hear your thoughts.
Have you felt this shift too?
Journeying Through the Telecom Labyrinth: Lessons from a Diverse Management Career
Embarking on my career at one of Malaysia’s leading telecommunications companies, I found myself in a whirlwind of varied management roles.
My early days were a deep dive into the multifaceted world of telecom, from research and development to network operations and business management.
This rotational approach wasn’t just about career advancement; it was a journey into the heart of the industry’s complexities and interconnections.
Each role presented its unique challenges, shaping my approach to leadership and excellence.
I learned the art of agility, adapting swiftly to changes and innovating in the face of complex problems.
Tech Evolution: Riding the Wave of Change
The technological aspect of my tenure was nothing short of exhilarating. Immersed in an industry characterized by rapid evolution, I developed a passion for the ever-changing tech landscape.
This inclination towards dynamic and innovative environments significantly influenced my career trajectory, pushing me towards creative and strategic roles over routine operational tasks.
The Art of Team Management: Understanding Diversity and Adaptability
One of the most challenging yet fulfilling aspects of my journey was managing diverse teams.
The variation in team sizes and the unique mix of backgrounds and attitudes brought forth distinctive challenges.
It was imperative to develop adaptable management strategies.
These experiences sharpened my skills in conflict resolution, team cohesion, and empathetic leadership, underscoring the importance of empathy and understanding in managing diverse teams.
Balancing Tech and Market Needs in Product Development
My role in product development was particularly enlightening.
It required me to balance technical feasibility with market demands, emphasizing the need to align technical solutions with business objectives.
This period highlighted the necessity of ensuring our products not only met technological standards but also catered to and satisfied customer needs.
The High Stakes of Business Management
Taking the reins of a division with nearly RM 50 million in annual revenue was a daunting yet rewarding challenge.
It demanded acute business insight, strategic foresight, and robust risk management. Juggling ambitious growth targets with the imperative of operational sustainability was a constant balancing act.
Crisis Management: Overcoming Billing System Transition Challenges
A particularly challenging phase was overseeing the transition to a new billing system.
This phase, laden with technical challenges and customer dissatisfaction, was a rigorous test of my crisis management abilities.
The high-tension environment and the fear of a key staff resignation potentially crippling the company taught me valuable lessons in resilience and strategic problem-solving.
The Lasting Value of Professional Relationships
Beyond the professional milestones, the enduring friendships formed during my tenure at the telco are among my most treasured experiences.
These relationships, spanning over two decades, extend beyond professional boundaries and remain a cherished part of my life.
Conclusion: Reflecting on a Journey of Growth and Connection
In summing up my 13-year tenure with the Malaysian telco, it’s clear that it was a journey marked by challenges, triumphs, and significant personal development.
It instilled in me the importance of adaptability, the value of lifelong learning, and the power of human connections.
I am deeply grateful for the myriad lessons learned and the enduring relationships built, which continue to enrich my life in countless ways.
Dr. Mazlan Abbas 