It pays to be skeptical in today’s world of AI slop and bogus gadgets. After all, you don’t want to chase after every shiny new thing; you want to build an operation that’s both resilient and profitable. Technology offers countless opportunities to make this happen, and you don’t have to rely on fads or drain your budget to scale.
Implement Tech on the Basis of Outcomes
While it was once beneficial for businesses to own their technology, these days, it’s more of a liability than anything else. Businesses today focus more on operational expenses than on capital expenditures. Here’s what that means:
- The As-a-Service Era - Instead of buying servers, you’re renting cloud space. Instead of hiring a full team of developers, you’re using low-code platforms and AI agents to your advantage.
- Autoscaling - You only use tech that costs you money when people use it. If your app has zero users late into the evening, you won’t be charged a dime.
Take Advantage of Pilot Fatigue
It’s tough to know what to pay attention to, though. Many business owners are so tired of looking at the “new thing” that they are hesitant to approach new AI tools, despite most industries adopting them to a certain degree. This is due to two things:
- The Skepticism Gap - Many founders are stuck in Pilot Fatigue, where they spend money on new technology that doesn’t actually yield a return on investment.
- The Fixer Strategy - If you use technology to solve a boring problem, however, it’s easy to justify. AI agents can often be used to eliminate tens of hours of paperwork, depending on the business and the task required.
Technology for All
The fact that this technology is being used to create one-person businesses that generate millions of dollars is a testament to how accessible and efficient it is. Here are some of the technologies allowing this to happen:
Agentic AI
These tools don’t just write emails; they can do tasks like book appointments or reconcile invoices. The future is promising for these technologies to exceed these capabilities, too.
Small Language Models
Rather than large-scale, massive, and expensive AI models, businesses are leveraging smaller and cheaper models that are trained to accomplish specific tasks.
FinOps
Smart businesses know what they can do without, i.e. trimming the fat. AI tools can sit in your account and automatically delete what you don’t need to save you money.
Why You Can Justify the Spread
Not sure if you can justify the upgrade? We recommend you try out the 1.7x Multiplier:
What the Data Says
Simply put, companies that move from testing technology to a full-blown implementation can see an average of 1.7x return on that investment.
If your upgrade costs $5,000 but prevents a $20,000 security breach, or it saves you $10,000 in manual labor, that’s a justifiable expense. It’s basically a discount to help you avoid future failure, and that kind of proactive measure is one that makes a significant difference over time.
Ultimately, you don’t win by having the most tech, but you do win by having the right technology. If you keep your business lean and competitive, it can thrive. Here are three rules to follow that can help you get there:
- Eliminate what doesn’t work - If a tool isn’t providing measurable value within 30 days, get rid of it, regardless of how much you’ve already spent on it.
- Automate boring tasks first - Forget flashy AI. It’s in the rote, routine, boring stuff where you’ll get the most value from automated solutions. Think invoicing, scheduling, and data entry for some examples.
- Keep your infrastructure modular - Treat your business like a set of building blocks. You can use APIs and cloud services that let you swap one tool out for a better one, all without rebuilding the whole system from the ground up.
Want more strategies that your business can leverage to take full advantage of today’s tech? Give us a call at 408-927-8700 today.