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AI isn’t some magic button you just press and everything works. You’ve got to start with a real problem, put a cost to it, and try AI in one small piece of the process. See what happens, learn from it, then do it again. You can actually get results this way instead of ending up with a flashy pilot that goes nowhere…

If it looks like a demo but doesn’t solve anything, that’s theater! I’ve seen plenty of flashy chatbots and dashboards that impress in a demo but fall apart without real data behind them. AI only creates value when it’s tied to real problems and measurable outcomes.

When a prospect approaches us saying “We need AI,” the last thing we want to do is go in and pitch solutions. We have to start with the problem. What’s slow? What’s costly? What’s risky? Only once we redesign the workflow do we layer in the right model. If the process is broken, AI just scales the mess. Our playbook looks like this: 1. Map → find bottlenecks. 2. Define → what KPI are we moving? 3. Pilot → small, surgical, 90-day win. 4. Scale → if it works, repeat. AI is the tool inside the overall strategy.

AI is thrilling. And exhausting. On one hand, we’re building an AI-assisted underwriting product for equipment finance that will fundamentally change how credit decisions get made. That’s exciting. On the other hand, the sheer pace of AI right now can feel overwhelming. If you spend all day reading about it, testing tools, then go to bed listening to podcasts about it…you’ll burn out. I know, because I’ve had to step away at times. The thing that keeps me optimistic is that for 35+ years, the way we interact with computers hasn’t really changed…keyboard, mouse, monitor. Now, we’re on the edge of something new: voice, agents, interfaces built for AI instead of humans. In finance, this means faster money movement. Smarter underwriting. Less friction. More instant outcomes. Yes, there’s turbulence, but disruption always shifts jobs, processes, and value... it doesn’t eliminate them. We’re just at the tip of the iceberg. And for those willing to ride the wave instead of fight it, the next decade is going to be incredible.

Which manual tasks are driving your team crazy? Might be a good place where AI can be beneficial. I talked to Daniel Levin about how enterprise businesses can begin to use AI. Watch the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gVEBirTC

Back in 2002, we bet early on Microsoft Dynamics CRM even though it was immature. Fun fact: we were the 19th or 20th customer! We trusted the ecosystem we knew, did our diligence, and believed Microsoft would keep investing, and they did! The whole process taught me how to make strategic tech bets: reduce unknowns, stick with trusted roadmaps, and move early where you’re strong. The same thinking applies to AI today.