Proventus HR

Just how fast can you read? Try it..

Indulging a “900 words per minute” reading challenge is oddly humbling, even if I managed to do @900 wpm.

On the surface, it feels like a superpower: words flying by, your mind trying to keep pace, the thrill of almost catching meaning at speed. But a few seconds in, you notice something more interesting. What is being tested is not just reading, but processing under compression.

And that is a useful mirror for modern work.

We increasingly operate in RSVP mode, information delivered in rapid bursts: decks, feeds, dashboards, chats. We can recognise patterns quickly, but recognition is not the same as understanding. At high speed, the brain starts leaning on prediction, context, and “filling in the gaps.” That is impressive, and also risky. It is how we end up confident, but shallow. Fast, but not necessarily accurate.

For me, the value of this video is not whether we can hit 900 WPM. It is the question it raises:

Where in life do I need speed, and where do I need depth?

Speed is powerful for scanning, triaging, and building exposure to familiar material. Depth is essential for judgment, nuance, empathy, and decision-making, especially when stakes are real. Leadership, culture, and relationships rarely reward the fastest reader. They reward the clearest sense-maker.

Curious to hear your take: In your work, what deserves faster consumption, and what deserves slower attention?