AI, Hammers & Shiny Objects

Homebuilders are not in the hammer business. If hammers were significantly improved or vanished entirely, an innovative homebuilder would still be in business, provided they know how to build quality homes using the tools available to them. The companies that will last are the ones who understand their tools and their customers well enough to know where and when adopting new tools is actually helpful.

Our customers want confidence that we know which tools to use and that we are not swinging hammers just because they generate more attention.

When AI is everywhere, it ceases to be a competitive edge and becomes a standard utility, much like electricity or a phone line. You are forced to answer the only question that actually matters: why should anyone care about what you are building? The real differentiator becomes how clearly you understand your mission and which tools actually help you serve it.

What I do not believe is that the presence of AI automatically makes something innovative.

Nearly anything can be AI-enabled. So much so that I have even been reluctant to use the phrase to describe my own business. I’ve been deliberate about specifying exactly how and why we use the technology. For example, I may mention where and how we use classification algorithms or NLP instead of simply saying AI-enabled. I believe that specificity builds trust, creates clarity, and makes it easier to prove value.