The End Of Business As Usual: AI And The Fall Of Slow Companies
In a recent story, Shelly Palmer shares the example of a 19-year-old college dropout from Detroit who built a $30,000-a-month SaaS business in just ninety days. He did it solo, in six hours, using Claude, ChatGPT, and no-code platforms. This isn't an exception. It's a signal of what's next
Palmer puts it simply: when anyone can execute instantly, the real advantage shifts to how fast you can generate ideas and get to market. Speed, not scale, wins.
For more than two decades, I've operated like a street fighter. From launching creative ventures to advising Fortune 500 leaders, the mindset has always been the same. Be quick. Be lean. Be relentless. Generative AI has taken that approach and multiplied its impact. It compresses research into hours, turns prompts into prototypes, and gives individuals the power that used to belong only to large, well-resourced teams.
While solo builders are accelerating, traditional enterprises are hitting resistance. The very structures that once helped them scale, such as annual planning, layered approvals, and institutional process, now slow them down. Palmer's warning is clear. Big companies should be nervous. If it takes you months to greenlight a project, you will lose to someone who builds and pivots daily.
Harvard Business School found that companies using small, cross-functional teams to explore AI outperformed their peers by 25 percent in revenue growth within eighteen months. This approach works because it grants minimum viable autonomy. When teams can move quickly within smart constraints, they generate momentum faster than those stuck in outdated hierarchies.
So, what does it mean to be an AI street fighter today?
Start by collapsing the idea-to-execution cycle. Don't wait for permission. Build now. Use GPT-4, Claude, or Gemini to create a landing page, model a pricing strategy, or write a pitch. Run it past customers immediately and adjust. What used to take months now takes days.
Rethink how you learn. Street fighters lead with curiosity, not credentials. They ask why not instead of can we. They are quick to unlearn what's obsolete. Slow-moving workflows and top-down project plans are often the first to go when speed becomes the goal.
Develop deep expertise in one area, like natural language processing, while building enough knowledge in related fields to collaborate effectively across teams. The most valuable contributors today are AI-literate individuals who can bridge the gap between technology and business.
Work is no longer confined to office walls or org charts. The most agile leaders are building hybrid teams with freelancers, independent specialists, and fractional executives. These setups bypass the friction of hiring cycles and give teams the flexibility to scale up or down as needed.
The smartest organizations are also treating talent like a community, not a commodity. AI might handle the matching, but it takes people to build connection and trust. Platforms that combine automation with mentorship, training, and human support are creating long-term engagement that goes far beyond a single project.
Experimentation has to become a habit, not a special initiative. This means allocating resources for small, fast tests and tracking indicators like cycle time or feedback loops rather than just financial results. Progress today is often measured in learning velocity, not just revenue.
The future will favor those who move quickly, stay curious, and embrace change as a constant. If you see yourself as scrappy, resourceful, and unafraid of uncertainty, AI is not your competition. It is your edge.
The bell has rung. We are in a new arena. The winners won't be the biggest. They will be the ones who learn the fastest and punch above their weight.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Search Business Group Launches Generative SEO Services in Southern California to Help Healthcare Providers Dominate AI Search
Fullerton, CA, Aug. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Search Business Group, a Latino-owned digital marketing agency based in Southern California, announced the launch of its new Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) services to help doctors, dentists, and veterinary practices rank on AI-driven search platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. The new offering positions providers across the region to stay visible and competitive as patient search behavior shifts toward generative AI Arellano, Founder and Creative Director of Search Business Group, leads healthcare marketing innovation with a focus on inclusivity, data-driven strategy, and digital agency's healthcare-specific strategies have led to significant performance outcomes for practices across Orange County and beyond. One example includes New Generation Dentistry in Mission Viejo, which achieved a 300% increase in year-over-year revenue, a 60% increase in local search traffic, and a 70% rise in phone leads following a comprehensive campaign involving web development, SEO, and content optimization. Search Business Group is led by award-winning Creative Director Ron Arellano, whose background includes more than two decades of creative leadership across high-profile brands such as the NY Mets, T-Mobile, Bridgestone, and WeightWatchers. Under Arellano's direction, the agency has pivoted its expertise toward the healthcare sector, bringing global-level strategy to small and mid-sized practices. 'Doctors and specialists often lack access to custom marketing that reflects their unique voice and community,' said Arellano. 'Search Business Group fills that gap with culturally aware campaigns that produce real business results.' The agency has supported a wide range of providers—including orthodontists, oral surgeons, veterinary clinics, and med spas—by combining human-centered design with technical precision. Its approach emphasizes performance analytics, local SEO, and user-first content while also addressing representation and language equity in healthcare communications. As part of its forward-looking strategy, Search Business Group has also introduced Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) services to help healthcare providers rank in AI-driven search engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. This positions clients to stay visible and competitive as consumer search behavior continues to evolve. Search Business Group's foundation is rooted in both innovation and inclusion. As a first-generation immigrant from Ecuador, Arellano brings a cultural fluency that informs the agency's work across diverse markets. Search Business Group continues to expand its reach while prioritizing equity, trust, and growth in healthcare marketing. About Search Business Group Search Business Group is a Fullerton, California-based digital marketing agency specializing in healthcare, dental, and veterinary marketing. The Latino-owned firm offers services in SEO, web design, web development, content strategy, and generative search optimization, helping healthcare providers improve digital visibility and patient engagement through performance-driven, culturally informed Results: A 528% increase in online patient forms from January to July 2025, generating over $1.4 million in estimated revenue through digital strategy and local SEO. Press inquiries Search Business Group Bianca Montalvo contactus@ 714-519-6290 1316 North Placentia Ave. Fullerton, CA 92831 A video accompanying this announcement is available at: in to access your portfolio
Geek Wire
a minute ago
- Geek Wire
Space entrepreneurs see defense projects as a future frontier for funding and innovation
The Golden Dome is envisioned as a network of satellite sensors and interceptors that could protect America from incoming missiles. (Lockheed Martin Illustration) Will the Golden Dome be a golden opportunity for commercial space ventures? That may be a bit of an exaggeration. But at a Seattle Tech Week presentation on the space industry, a panel of entrepreneurs agreed that military projects — including a plan to create a missile defense shield along the lines of Israel's Iron Dome by as early as 2028 — seem to be the most promising vehicles for getting commercial space ventures off the ground. Part of the reason for that has to do with the uncertainty that's currently surrounding America's civilian space program. At the same time that the White House is pushing plans for the $175 billion Golden Dome project, it's seeking to trim billions of dollars from NASA's budget. 'It's so interesting right now, because I think there's more uncertainty around civil space funding than there's ever been before, and more bullishness on defense space funding than there's ever been before,' said Erika Wagner, who left Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture last year to lead The Exploration Company's U.S. business development team. Seattle-area space companies have been among the beneficiaries of the Pentagon's surge of support — ranging from the $25 million in Space Force funding granted to Seattle-based Integrate in June to the $2.4 billion in Space Force launch contracts set aside for Kent-based Blue Origin earlier this year. Gravitics, Starfish Space and Portal Space Systems are among other Seattle-area space ventures benefiting from recent Pentagon contracts. AE Industrial Partners' Eugene Kim, Starcloud's Philip Johnston, The Exploration Company's Erika Wagner, Portal Space Systems' Jeff Thornburg and Perkins Coie's Ben Straughan participate in a Seattle Tech Week panel on the space industry. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) The typical route for defense-oriented space startups is to win a series of grants issued through the Pentagon's Small Business Innovation Research program, or SBIR. But SBIR grants can take you only so far, said Jeff Thornburg, Bothell-based Portal Space Systems' founder and CEO. 'If it's just cool tech for cool tech's sake, you'll only get through about Phase 1 or Phase 2 SBIRs, and it'll never cross the 'Valley of Death,'' Thornburg said at Thursday afternoon's session. 'The Valley of Death is basically when you've taken the idea as far as you can, you don't have any other customer pull, and it costs so much money to develop that you have no way to get there, and the company kind of folds.' Portal and Gravitics managed to avoid the Valley of Death by winning support from SpaceWERX's STRATFI program, which can unlock tens of millions of dollars in public and private funding. Portal is using its funding to develop a sun-powered orbital transport vehicle called Supernova, while Gravitics is working on an orbital carrier for space vehicles. Thornburg said that the U.S. military can be 'the world's most difficult and demanding customer,' and cautioned that it's not easy to build relationships with the Pentagon officials who make the decisions on funding. 'If you're going to take on the defense customer, and you should probably consider it if you're an entrepreneur out there, you really have to do the homework,' he said. 'Are you answering a warfighter need?' The AI connection Artificial intelligence may well be one of those needs. At a Seattle Tech Week session held earlier in the day, a different set of space entrepreneurs suggested that there was a significant intersection between the AI frontier and the space frontier. For example, Planetary Systems AI is focused on using AI tools to help the Pentagon make sense of the flood of data streaming down from space sensors. 'We help with some of the automation and decision making, from pre-launch all the way to in-orbit … in a battle management perspective as well as for space operations,' said Cindy Chin, the New York-based company's founder and CEO. Such tools are expected to play an increasing role in space traffic management as more and more satellites are launched into low Earth orbit. Over the course of just six years, the Seattle area has become the world's most prolific producer of such satellites, primarily due to the rise of SpaceX's Starlink constellation and preparations for Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation. Starfish Space co-founder Austin Link said AI tools are already built into his company's satellite navigation systems. 'It's not like we're going and asking ChatGPT, 'Hey, should we burn the thrusters now?' At least, not yet,' he said. 'But there are a lot of autonomous decision making and a lot of complex algorithms that are flying the vehicle. That is effectively AI, at least in certain definitions.' Starfish Space's Austin Link, Planetary Systems AI's Cindy Chin, Radian Aerospace's Livingston Holder and Wilson Sonsini's Curt Blake discuss the state of the space industry at a Seattle Tech Week event. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) Space infrastructure could also ease the pressure that power-hungry AI data centers are putting on earthly resources. Two companies that have a significant presence in the Seattle area, Starcloud and Sophia Space, are developing systems that could open the way for solar-powered satellites to operate as orbital data centers. Starcloud CEO and co-founder Philip Johnston said his company initially set up shop in Southern California but relocated to Redmond, Wash., after a month. 'If you want somebody who knows about building a satellite … 90% of them are specifically in Redmond, because you have Kuiper and Starlink,' he said. Shifts in the market for space services — due to the AI angle as well as America's evolving national security needs — could well lead to long-term tectonic shifts in the space industry, Thornburg said. 'I'm kind of excited to see what happens with these 'neo-prime' relationships, Anduril and Palantir, and their partnerships with up-and-coming entrepreneurs to offer a different solution space for defense, and then how that can get applied to commercial [space applications]. Because I think that might be an X factor here that maybe everyone's not always contemplating,' he said. Other space shots from Seattle Tech Week Mining on the final frontier: It's been seven years since the Redmond-based asteroid mining venture known as Planetary Resources fizzled out, but Johnston said that space mining might be a market niche whose time has finally come. For examples, he pointed to Seattle-based Interlune, which aims to harvest helium-3 and other resources from the moon; and California-based AstroForge, which is setting the stage for extracting resources from asteroids. 'That is going to be an absolutely enormous business. It's very dependent on low-cost launch, though. Whether that happens in the next five years or the next 10 years is up for debate,' he said. It's been seven years since the Redmond-based asteroid mining venture known as Planetary Resources fizzled out, but Johnston said that space mining might be a market niche whose time has finally come. For examples, he pointed to Seattle-based Interlune, which aims to harvest helium-3 and other resources from the moon; and California-based AstroForge, which is setting the stage for extracting resources from asteroids. 'That is going to be an absolutely enormous business. It's very dependent on low-cost launch, though. Whether that happens in the next five years or the next 10 years is up for debate,' he said. What about an orbital smash-up? The afternoon session's panel was split on whether a catastrophic satellite collision event known as the Kessler syndrome would occur in the next five years, but the panelists agreed that international efforts would be made in the next five years to try to head off such an event. The afternoon session's panel was split on whether a catastrophic satellite collision event known as the Kessler syndrome would occur in the next five years, but the panelists agreed that international efforts would be made in the next five years to try to head off such an event. When will we put people on the moon? When the panelists were asked to project when astronauts would once again land on the moon, they guessed dates ranging from 2030 to 2035. For what it's worth, NASA's current timetable calls for the Artemis 3 mission to put a crew on the lunar surface in 2027. When the panelists were asked to project when astronauts would once again land on the moon, they guessed dates ranging from 2030 to 2035. For what it's worth, NASA's current timetable calls for the Artemis 3 mission to put a crew on the lunar surface in 2027. What about Mars? The panelists' projections for the first crewed landing on the Red Planet ranged from 2040 (or earlier) to 2060 — which is much later than Elon Musk's current goal of putting humans on Mars in 2028 or so. Johnston said he made a bet with someone that billionaire techie Jared Isaacman would 'be the first person on Mars before 2040.' Thursday morning's Seattle Tech Week session about the space industry was presented by Silicon Valley Bank and Wilson Sonsini, while the afternoon session was presented by Perkins Coie and Space Happy Hour.
The Verge
2 minutes ago
- The Verge
Amazon eyes ads and upcharges for Alexa Plus
In the week's least surprising news, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy revealed that the company is exploring ways to bring ads to Alexa Plus, its new generative-AI-powered voice assistant. During a conference call following the company's second-quarter earnings report, Jassy said that 'there will be opportunities, as people are engaging in more multiturn conversations [with Alexa Plus], to have advertising play a role to help people find discovery, and also as a lever to drive revenue.' Basically, people will talk more to Alexa, so there will be more ways to push ads at them. He also hinted that Alexa Plus, which is currently free for Prime members but will cost $19.99 a month without Prime, could one day cost more. 'As we keep adding functionality [there] could be some sort of subscription element beyond what there is today,' he said. Considering Amazon's Devices & Services division, which includes Alexa and Echo, has reportedly struggled to make money, Jassy is looking for ways to make its hot new thing, Alexa Plus, more profitable. Charging non-Prime members $20 a month may sound like one way. But who's going to pay $20 when you can spend $15 for Prime and get Alexa Plus, plus all the Prime benefits? Advertising is the obvious path, as ads already exist on Amazon Echo devices with regular Alexa on board. These include full-screen ones on Echo Show smart displays that appear randomly and can't be opted out of. Another way Alexa pushes ads is with its 'By the way' feature, which tacks on suggestions to a response after you've asked something. These often involve encouraging you to buy something from Amazon. When Amazon announced Alexa Plus back in February, I asked head of Devices & Services Panos Panay if 'By the way' and full-screen ads would stick around. 'I don't think a lot of that changes,' he said, adding that advertising models on devices like Echos are designed to keep the costs down for customers. I've been testing Alexa Plus for a few weeks now and haven't seen any ads or received any 'By the ways.' But the assistant is still in an Early Access beta phase, and it sounds like the plan is that this new Alexa will come with new ways to push ads. But I really wish it wasn't. In terms of what that might look like, back in 2022, Amazon said it had developed a Customers Ask Alexa feature that would allow brands to submit their own answers to questions people asked Alexa, such as 'How can I remove pet hair from my carpet?' Alexa Plus, with its chattier, more helpful persona, would be an ideal platform to deliver this type of sponsored result. But that won't cut it if Amazon is going to succeed in making Alexa Plus the 'World's best personal assistant,' which is Jassy's stated goal. Why would anyone choose to use an assistant that is getting paid to push specific products? One of those higher tiers for Alexa Plus Jassy hinted at could be an ad-free version, as TechCrunch first speculated. Amazon did exactly this with Prime Video, creating a higher price, ad-free tier and booting everyone else to ads. But either way, Alexa will really have to prove its worth if we're going to pay for its new capabilities. Based on my initial testing of Alexa Plus, it's not at a point where I can delegate my daily tasks and chores to it, as I would do if I could ever afford to hire a real personal assistant. But the potential is there. There's no doubt that generative AI is going to transform how we use digital voice assistants, and Amazon has a head start. It has actually launched its revamped assistant with more conversational natural language abilities, something neither Apple nor Google seems close to doing. Alexa Plus is also one of the few generative AI-powered services that can take actions in real life. Whether people will be willing to pay for AI features is still being tested. OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and others currently charge for different tiers of access to their more advanced AI-chatbot tools. As an Alexa user for many years, I'd consider paying for a really good Alexa that does what I ask without fail, has all the features Amazon has promised are coming, and never shows me an ad. However, what I know for sure that I don't want, is a chattier AI pushing products at me in my home. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All AI Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Amazon Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Amazon Alexa Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Analysis Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Business Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Features Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Smart Home Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
