Are you frustrated that almost three years after ChatGPT’s breakout, you still can’t point to any significant, measurable value you or your company has gained from generative AI?
Maybe you’re waiting for the perfect use case or the tech to get “a little better.”
How’s that working out?
Sure, your team might use AI to summarize emails, prep for meetings, draft boilerplate, or do light research—but none of that moves the needle.
For most companies, meaningful applications of generative AI remain rare, leaving their true potential untapped.
Example: LinkedIn’s COO posted a video saying he mainly uses AI to prep for client meetings and research tariff impacts. While that is probably useful. That is hardly transformative.
Leaders set the tone. At the same time, I applaud LinkedIn's COO for sharing how he is using it. That video sends a message that all you need to do to benefit from AI is some research. Which, frankly, matches most of the rollouts in LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
The Current Mistake
Many businesses confuse “using AI” with "trying AI" and settle for superficial box‑checking:
- Forming an AI committee that brainstorms possibilities but rarely accomplishes anything. But the resume add and the lunches are nice.
- Enabled Gemini or Copilot and said, “Have at it.” Some people didn't read the email and probably don't even know it is turned on.
- Chasing social‑media trends (e.g., making staff “action‑figure” avatars) instead of solving real problems. Anyone else think that was the largest narcissism test in history?
The result: words without value and the mere appearance of productivity.
Technical staff often feel the same fatigue: “Just another thing to learn.” As my friend said at his company, “Most people resist new tech unless mandated.”
Yet even in some companies, quietly impactful uses are emerging. Identify those top performers, give them resources, and replicate their success.
What Is The Obstacle?
The obstacle isn’t resistance or skepticism. It’s a lack of direction and urgency. Leadership dreams big but is detached from day‑to‑day tasks, where generative AI makes a tangible impact.
It is hard to take what AI capability was mentioned in the news, an email, at a conference, or even in this blog, and implement it. Look at the list of tools below. There are some outstanding things there, but just creating a login and trying them most likely won't lead to much.
Buying generic courses or certifications is the lazy route. They’re rarely finished or applied and never tailored to the attendee's work.
Who Is Creating The Value?
Right now, value comes from individuals building prompts, workflows, using prebuilt apps, or building lightweight apps that make daily tasks faster and decisions smarter:
- Predictive models
- Custom mini‑apps
- AI‑driven analysis
- Rapid, high‑quality content generation
- Turning words into charts and graphics
All achievable for tools that cost $10–$100 per month.
Here is a list of my favorite tools, which allow me to:
- Automate repetitive tasks
- Scrape key data
- Generate and remix content
- Vibe code mini apps and websites
- Enrich data
- Build presentations in a tenth of the time
- Set dynamic reminders
- Improve my personal life.
Tools:
- ChatGPT - Swiss Army knife - great at everything
- Claude - Swiss Army knife - better than ChatGPT at coding and specific data tasks
- Napkin - Visuals - I created the image for this blog
- Beautiful - Presentations
- Akkio - Advanced data analysis and predictive modeling
- Notion/Airtable - Organization and client sites: Notion has some of the best native AI capabilities I have used
- Grain - Transcripts, automated notes/to-dos, and chatting a recording
- Loom/Descript - video and audio creation and editing
- Lex - My writing copyeditor and assistant
- Spiral - Remixing content and finding patterns
- Sparkle - Automatically organizing all my folders on my desktop
- Lavendar - Grading and coaching my email copy
- Grammarly - My general copy editor that works natively everywhere
- Vercel/Replit - A more advanced coding partner that helps you build and ship apps
You can take a look at what I have built. In less than 15 minutes, I built a working ROI calculator hosted on GitHub that included multiple iterations.
I launched a new website for Spark Seneca, including all the functionality, code blocks, and copy using ChatGPT and Claude in less than 4 hours.
I have built mini apps that allow me to scrape web data for conferences and put it in a CSV file that can then be run through deep research to enrich the data. Apps that will create perfect LinkedIn searches for you in Sales Navigator.
I have built account scoring models and lead scoring models. I have also evaluated an entire sales team's activities and messaging and devised a better approach using Akkio and ChatGPT.
It is all easy to do and can be easily replicated across key business functions. It is in the know-how, curiosity, continuous improvement of the models, and then execution. If you can get that, you can be so effective.
The Quiet Advantage of Tech‑Savvy Problem Solvers
Momentum begins with naturally curious, tech‑comfortable people who already squeeze the most out of Google, Excel, Slack, or your CRM. AI gives them leverage.
You don’t need everyone to become an expert. You do need to find and support those with instincts. Pair them with passionate subject‑matter experts; their know‑how will cascade through multiple tools.
How to Achieve Value
For most companies, the path forward is affordable tools plus four principles:
- Real ROI – Measure how AI saves time, improves relationships, engages audiences, and improves decisions.
- Demonstrable quick wins – Have an internal (or hired) expert show what GPT-03-level reasoning models can solve today.
- Immediate practicality – Replace courses or self-taught with focused sessions for live tasks.
- Human‑centric adoption – Present AI as a support that enhances, not replaces, human judgment. This can be done with a foundational company-wide workshop.
Are You Convinced?
With a modest budget, you can avoid poor decisions and break stagnation. It is about equipping key employees to augment their work with AI; real value will follow.
When I asked about his company, another friend said, “We haven’t had any coaching—basic AI training would help most people here.”
That’s unacceptable for any small to midsize business three years on. Start foundational know-how and individual enablement tomorrow.
Bring generative AI into planning sessions and let it challenge you.
Provide an agency or contractor with a better mock-up or explanation of what you want or need. You will be shocked at how much the results improve. Or maybe you replace what they do for you with AI and your internal team.
What are you afraid of if you’re paying for coaching or peer groups but haven’t used ChatGPT to stress‑test your thinking or work?
The tools and capabilities are excellent today. Please start using them.
