“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” — Alan Kay.
The Real Problem You’re Ignoring
You use “digital transformation” on every slide.
You hire consultants to draw roadmaps.
You still cling to outdated org charts and annual budgets.
You fear AI. You treat change like a storm to dodge instead of a wave to ride.
Meanwhile, your competitors are already cruising past you on a surfboard. You’re stuck in boardroom theater while the market rewrites the rules.
You don’t fear failure as much as you fear looking stupid if you actually try something new.
💡 Fear of AI is just an excuse to maintain the status quo.
Emotional and Operational Consequences
Your people are burnt out from talking in circles again and again. Your best talent jumps ship because they see you’re dead set on playing it safe. Customers sense the lag. And you? You wake up at 3 AM wondering why you’re still bleeding budget on consultants who never built a thing.
You’ve traded passion for procedure. Operationally, you’re moving slower than a dial-up connection in 2024. Meanwhile, AI-powered rivals are sprinting past you with 20–35% productivity boosts in marketing alone (McKinsey). They’re slicing routine work, dialing up creative strategy, and laughing as they sip cold coffee on the shore of your destruction.
💡 You can’t “transform” with PowerPoint. You transform by doing.
Start Your Digital Training…
- Delete Your Slide Deck: Kill one of those “digital transformation” decks. Replace it with three bullet points: goals, next-week experiments, who’s doing what. Then ship something by Friday. Don’t wait for a 12-month plan. Pick a team. Give them three weeks to test an AI tool on a real problem. Measure results. Rinse. Scale.
- Form Cross-Functional Squads: Kill the silo thinking. Mix marketers, engineers, customer-success, legal. Give them a mission: “Use AI to save 10 hours/week.” Watch them do the magic.
- Spot Weak Signals Daily: Have your people scan Reddit, tech blogs, customer feedback every morning. If someone mentions a new tool, flag it. Ask, “Why aren’t we doing this?”
- Own Your Brutal Truths: Publish a weekly “What Sucked” memo. Share failures as loudly as wins. Build trust, spark urgency, and shame complacency.
🎯 Remember
You don’t get a medal for plans that sit on shelves. You earn respect by doing the freakin’ work. So stop working on your annual budget. Paddle out. Ride the wave. Or stay on shore and watch your competitors torch your business.
