My buddy's manager makes him get three signatures just to order pens. The whole floor knows it's dumb but the process stays.

Venmo or a shared spreadsheet works great for tracking who paid for what. We usually have one person buy all the groceries, then everyone sends them their share right away. It helps to split the list, like someone gets the meat and another grabs drinks and sides. Makes it feel more like a team effort.

You said "trading skill for speed" and I just read a piece about how this is happening in car repair too. All the computer tools are GREAT for quick fixes, but guys who only use them often can't handle a weird mechanical failure. That DEEP hardware knowledge you mentioned is what lets you solve problems when the software gives up. We CAN'T let speed make us lose the skills that actually let us think and fix things.

The shipping wars in the My Hero Academia fandom broke my brain years ago. We're out here debating if Deku's glove color has thematic meaning while half the forum is writing essays on why two background students from episode three are soulmates. Sure, let's talk about themes, just be ready for someone to argue that the major theme is actually romantic tension between the hero and his lunchbox.

Had a crab once that wouldn't let go of my wrench. We just let him keep it and grabbed another one.