One of the more difficult realities in business is that customers rarely explain why they decided not to move forward. I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently as I've watched how customers make decisions today.
What I’ve noticed recently is that much of the discussion around AI focuses heavily on replacement: replacing people, teams, communication, and creative work. But I think that framing misses something important.
One challenge in growing businesses is not always obvious from the outside. The business appears successful. Customers are coming in. Revenue is moving. The team is busy. But internally, many owners are quietly managing constant operational friction.
Automation has become one of the biggest topics of conversation in business today. And for good reason. But I’ve also noticed something interesting: Sometimes automation makes businesses feel even more chaotic.