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# Companies burn cash chasing productivity metrics through surveillance
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/companies-burn-cash-chasing-productivity-metrics-through-surveillance/
- Published: 2026-08-27T16:05:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-27T16:05:24.000Z
- Description: Tokenmaxxing—using token consumption as a proxy for employee productivity—is becoming a costly arms race as firms invest in tracking infrastructure that often fails to correlate with actual output.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-brand, talent strategy, workplace culture, organizational efficiency

Source: [The Next Web](https://thenextweb.com/news/rising-costs-of-the-token-consumption-race?ref=adjacent.media)

Tokenmaxxing—using token consumption as a proxy for employee productivity—is becoming a costly arms race as firms invest in tracking infrastructure that often fails to correlate with actual output. The practice reflects a deeper problem: companies are doubling down on measurement theater instead of addressing why they can't trust their workforce, creating friction costs that likely exceed any productivity gains. This mirrors previous efficiency crazes (from time-tracking to activity monitoring) that drain morale while generating busywork around compliance rather than meaningful work.