Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get said enough:

You don’t need to put AI in everything.

You just need to know where it actually helps.

I’ve been working with a lot of businesses lately across industries, sizes, stages and here’s what I keep noticing:

Everyone wants “AI in the business.”

Very few know what role it’s actually supposed to play.

You don’t get a gold star for saying “we use AI.”

There’s no prize for being early if the implementation doesn’t do anything meaningful.

In fact, I’ve seen setups where AI actually slows things down.

Adds complexity.

Breaks existing workflows.

Creates more work for the team.

All because someone decided to bolt on a fancy chatbot instead of solving the actual problem.

Sometimes?

A simple automation is better.

A well-built Make/Zapier flow, a webhook trigger, or a Slack bot that sends a daily summary.

Just something that works.

The smartest businesses aren’t saying:

“How do we use AI?”

They’re asking:

“Where are we wasting time?”

“What’s repetitive?”

“What’s costing us more than it should?”

And then they look at the toolbox.

Maybe AI makes sense.

Maybe it doesn’t.

That’s the point, it’s about fit, not just having AI.

One of the most useful things I’ve helped teams do lately is not use AI.

Instead, we mapped out a smarter process.

Simplified things.

Used a clean little automation and called it a day.

And the result?

They saved time, reduced errors, and got their team focused back on what mattered.

No buzzwords required.

Here’s the thing:

AI is powerful — no question.

But it’s not magic.

And it’s definitely not one-size-fits-all.

The businesses that will win in 2025 and beyond aren’t the ones that “use AI.”

They’re the ones that use it with intention.

Start small.

Start real.

And ask the better question:

Not “how do we use AI?”

But “where does AI actually help us do better work?”

That shift alone will save you time, money, and a whole lot of friction.

Catch you on the next one.

– JC