AI, PRODUCT, AND THE FOUNDER'S CALL

Lately I’ve been having the same conversation with founders everywhere: AI.

Customers are asking about it. Competitors are rolling out new features. Investors want to know what your plan is. So it’s no surprise founders are asking the same question: What are we supposed to do with this?

For some teams, that means wondering if they need to rebuild their product around AI. For others, it means figuring out where AI might help them run the company better, whether that’s hiring, support, decision-making, or forecasting.

The real question isn’t whether AI exists. It’s where your company should leverage it, in your product, in your operations, or both.

Hear more in Should Founders Rebuild for AI? feat. Audra Stanton.

If you’re building a company meant to endure, it’s worth stepping back and asking: Where does AI actually make us better?

PERSPECTIVES

“To build something people love, you have to do more than people expect."

— Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-Founder

MARK MY WORDS

When new technology shows up, founders feel two things at once: excitement and pressure.

Excitement because the possibilities are real. Pressure because no one wants to miss the shift.

I’ve lived through enough of these moments to know something important: The technology itself is rarely the strategy.

AI will change how companies operate. It will help teams move faster, make better decisions, and eliminate the work nobody really enjoys doing. But great companies are still built by people who love playing the game together.

AI can make us more efficient. It can make us more effective. What it can’t replace is the human side of building something meaningful. If you’ve ever been part of a team that pushed through something hard together, you know exactly what I mean.

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD

In case you missed it, here’s more from Founder’s Framework:

Impact vs. Effort: Why Hard Work Isn’t Enough

Founders don’t lose sleep because someone worked hard. We sleep well when we can see that the company is getting better. This piece explores why great teams focus on impact instead of activity.

[Read Now]

A reminder that the world can change slowly for years, then all at once.