Build something bigger than yourself

Hey there,

Ever met a bug with a better work ethic than your entire office?
Let us introduce you to the leafcutter ant.

She doesn’t just clock in. She builds empires.
And we’re not talking about a few crumbs or a picnic raid. Leafcutter ants run one of the most sophisticated agricultural systems in the natural world. No PTO, no Wi-Fi—just teamwork, fungus, and vibes.

🍃 The Harvest Crew
Thousands of workers scale trees and slice leaves with jaws so sharp they vibrate like tiny chainsaws. They don’t eat the leaves—they’re collecting them for someone else.

🍄 The Fungus Farmers
Back in the underground nest (which can be as deep as 26 feet), those leaf bits become compost for a fungus garden. Yep, they’re farmers. The ants feed this one specific fungus, which breaks down the leaves into something edible. The colony eats the fungus, not the leaves. It’s kind of like sourdough, if your starter was also your god.

🧼 The Sanitation Department
If any mold or bad microbes invade the fungus? Specialized ants remove the infected sections immediately—some even produce antibiotics. Big Pharma could never.

👑 The Queen
At the center of it all: one massive queen laying all the eggs. She can live for up to 20 years and starts entire civilizations with just a single mating flight.

Now take a breath.

This isn’t some quaint little ant hill. These are underground megacities with farming chambers, waste zones, and ventilation shafts. Populations can reach over 8 million, all working in a system so efficient it makes most human cities look... clunky.

Composting? You’re basically doing leafcutter ant cosplay. Keep your bin balanced—greens (like veggie scraps) + browns (like dried leaves)—and turn it weekly to aerate. Bonus points if you imagine tiny ants applauding your technique.

And next time someone tells you bugs are dumb, remind them:
Some insects invented farming before humans.

P.S. If leafcutter ants can build entire farming systems underground, you can build smarter workflows above ground. This AI course shows you how:

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Until next week,
Gabi & Bea