July 2026: The Great AI Debate
I have spent a lot of time with clients over the last few months debating AI use, GPU ROI, and datacenter operations. I have also spent a lot of time with friends opining over the risks associated with platforms like Flock. While I’m not ready to go off-grid just yet, the conversations have left me wondering how best to prepare Ford for life, and where we want to raise him. In a world where answers are a commodity, creativity, curiosity, and the ability to connect with humans seem to be the skills most valuable for the future. When others are focusing inward and spending more time away from people and relying on AI to solve their day-to-day problems, I want to give my guy the skills to thrive in the space others are vacating.
There is a lesson in there for all of us: instead of going to Claude for your answers, pick up a good book. Instead of going to ChatGPT for your basic design needs, call an agency and seek a design made by a human. Instead of avoiding social events, force yourself to participate and don’t leave until you’ve spoken to everyone in the room.
In a world that is increasingly disconnected due to technological connection, seek opportunities to connect directly with the human experience. This is one of the messages I’ve been sharing with clients of The Select Group, as recently as last week in Manhattan: use AI to be better at the things you already do well, and don’t lose the human connection with your team, partners, or customers.
Of course, I give this advice while sitting on my laptop writing a newsletter to my extended network during family beach week while all 17 of my people are hanging out on the beach, so take it for what it’s worth.
-AM
What if there is no ROI on AI?
For the last three years I’ve been working with clients to answer, mostly, one question: how do I realize an ROI from my AI investment?
The answer I’ve come to realize? There probably isn’t one. AI is a tool like many others: it helps us do certain things better, it introduces as many problems as it solves, and its effective use requires a level of change that many people and enterprises just don’t want to take on.
I’ve also had conversations with many clients who have bought and hoarded GPUs only to realize that they’re only using about 5% of the capacity that they’ve built.
I’m not suggesting that there won’t be value created by AI, but what I am suggesting is that it, like any other technological revolution, is not the silver bullet to solve the world’s problems. Effective use requires work; ROI requires clarity on what your business is aiming to achieve, and for every $1 saved in one area, another $1 will be spent in another. Or maybe even $2.
This realization has led me back to an advisory conversation that I’ve had 1000x over the last 20 years: to win with AI, you need to focus on clearly communicating your strategy and what success looks like, and then clean up your business and technical architecture.
No technology is going to make this hard work go away. Like everything else in life, there is no shortcut to hard work, and the only way forward is through.
A Ford Update
I can’t believe that my little dude is almost 18 months old. People have been telling me since before he was born to savor the moments because they fly by, but DAMN, do they fly by.
Ford loves his bike, starts each day with a trip to the garage to sit in the “caahhh” (car), is thriving in swim lessons with Red Cardinal Aquatics and our dear friend Ana, and loves our twice-monthly Saturday trips to Cars & Coffee, the Raleigh Executive Jetport to watch the planes, and Art Moto to check out the latest (red) motorcycles and to listen to live music. My little dude is endlessly curious and loves people, and I hope to keep those fires burning for as long as I can.
Who I’m Following
The years between my junior year of HS and the time I joined the Army were peak X Games culture, and about that time my focus shifted from the world of racing BMX and motocross to dirt jumping and freestyle motocross, fueled by the culture built by Brian Deegan and Metal Mulisha.
Deegan’s “f&*k the system” heavy metal and counterculture persona was especially attractive to a generation trying to find its way in a post-9/11, post-dot-com world with limited job prospects and an identity crisis.
Even as culture shifted, I remained a fan of Deegan as he pivoted from freestyle motocross and Mulisha to rally car and stadium truck racing. Over the years he has leaned into fatherhood, building businesses, and his faith. Deegan’s evolution and journey, in a lot of ways, mirrors my own.
Recently, with his kids largely out on their own, Brian created space to begin giving back to others like me whose lives he has indirectly impacted, to more directly coach and mentor people with a common interest in character development, building businesses, and a shared love for moto.
The Generals Army has proved a powerful community over the last several months for both learning and helping others. I’ve been a long-time believer in mastermind communities, but TGA is proof that finding the right community is a rapid outcome accelerator.
Check out TGA, and then consider searching out a similar community that is best aligned to you.
Other Recent Thoughts
In Closing
This is certainly a season of change. Jenelle and I are taking a hard look at how we’re raising Ford, where we live, and what is most important in our marriage. Change is never easy, but always necessary. Some of us embrace change, others are cautious of it, but it’s something we all must endure. The most important things to remember in any change context, professional or personal, are to anchor in a goal that can serve as your guiding light through the hard days; celebrate your short-term wins; don’t dwell on setbacks; and above all, don’t lose sight of the fact that your team are your people. You’re all working to the same goal, even if your style and approach may differ.
Be well, friends.
-AM