Trust the problem more than the solution. Listen to customers more than your own excitement. And always, always prioritize human impact over technological complexity.
AI isn't magic. It's a set of tools that needs to dramatically improve an existing process. The most compelling AI startups don't just add a feature: They reimagine entire workflows, remove the need for them, or figure out ways to automate them.
Here's a litmus test: If a human with enough time and skill could accomplish a task, how much time is your AI tool saving? What can that person do better or faster as a result of your tool?
Before AI can multiply your work, you need to know what’s worth multiplying.
This is where a lot of people get tripped up. They open a new AI tool and ask, “What can you do?” Instead, start with: “What do I do that matters—to me and to my team?”
In AI, data isn't just fuel—it's the entire engine. The most promising startups are transforming data in interesting and useful ways that were previously either hard or impossible to do. Plus, ingesting more data entails higher switching costs for customers: The more data and insights a tool has into your workflow, the more time consuming it will b... See more