On the vast currents of modern business, the banner of efficiency flies high. From the roar of steam engines to the glimmer of microchips, humanity’s pursuit of “less input, more output” has never ceased. For years, we have regarded automation as the holy grail of efficiency—the “lights-out factory,” where machines run themselves and processes require no human intervention, has been the ultimate dream of countless entrepreneurs. Yet, when dreams meet reality, we find that the path to full automation is fraught with thorns; its high costs and fragile reliability often dash ambitious plans against the rocks.