Last month, I had conversations with over 100 business leaders about their AI initiatives.
The question was simple: "What's your AI strategy for 2026?"
The answers? Almost identical:
"We're exploring ChatGPT for our team..." "Looking into AI chatbots for support..." "Piloting some automation tools..."
Here's the problem: 97 of them are thinking about AI completely backwards.
And it's costing them millions.
The Mistake Everyone's Making
Most companies approach AI like this:
- Find a problem
- Look for an AI tool to fix it
- Buy the tool
- Hope it works
- Wonder why it doesn't
Sound familiar?
This is what I call "Tool-First Thinking."
It's the same mistake companies made with:
- Cloud migration (lift and shift without re-architecting)
- Mobile apps (just shrinking the website)
- Social media (treating it like a billboard)
They're taking yesterday's workflows and sprinkling AI on top.
But here's what the 3% who get it right understand:
AI isn't a tool. It's a teammate.
The Netflix Moment Is Coming
Remember when Blockbuster said:
"We're exploring this 'streaming' thing..."
While Netflix said:
"We're rebuilding entertainment from the ground up."
One added technology. The other reimagined the industry.
Your contact center is having its Blockbuster moment right now.
The question isn't "Should we add an AI chatbot?"
The question is: "If we built our customer engagement strategy today, from scratch, knowing what AI can do—what would it look like?"
Spoiler: It would look nothing like what you have now.
What the 3% Do Differently
The companies getting AI right aren't asking:
- "What can AI automate?"
They're asking:
- "What should humans be doing that AI can't?"
This is Strategy-First Thinking.
Here's what it looks like in practice:
Company A (Tool-First - Wrong Way):
"We bought an AI chatbot. It handles 30% of basic questions. Our agents still handle the other 70%. Not bad."
Result: Saved $50K/year. Still hiring more support staff.
Company B (Strategy-First - Right Way):
"We built an AI-native support system. AI handles 100% of inquiries 24/7. Humans only step in for complex edge cases or relationship-building moments."
Result: Reduced support costs 70%. Improved customer satisfaction 40%. Scaled without hiring.
The difference? Company A asked "What can we automate?" Company B asked "What should humans uniquely do?"
The Three Questions You Should Be Asking
If you want to be in the 3%, stop thinking about AI tools and start asking:
1. "What work should ONLY humans do?"
Not "what can AI do" but what shouldn't it do.
The answer:
- High-stakes decision making
- Emotional intelligence moments
- Creative problem-solving
- Relationship building
Everything else? Fair game for AI.
2. "If we started from zero today, how would we design this?"
Don't retrofit. Reimagine.
- Would you still have 8-hour support windows? (No—AI never sleeps)
- Would you still segment by "support" vs "sales"? (No—AI can do both)
- Would you still manually qualify every lead? (No—AI can score thousands instantly)
3. "What becomes possible when AI handles the noise?"
This is where it gets exciting.
When AI handles:
- Repetitive questions
- Data entry
- Appointment scheduling
- Basic troubleshooting
- Lead qualification
Your humans become:
- Strategic advisors
- Complex problem solvers
- Customer success partners
- Revenue drivers
That's not replacing humans. That's elevating them.
The Real ROI Isn't Cost Savings
Here's what the 97% miss:
They measure AI success by "How much did we save?"
The 3% measure it by "What can we do now that we couldn't before?"
Examples:
97% thinking: "Our AI chatbot saved us $50K in support costs."
3% thinking: "Our AI system lets us offer 24/7 support in 20 languages without adding headcount. We just entered 5 new markets."
See the difference?
One saved money. The other created entirely new revenue streams.
So, What's Your Move?
If you're in the 97%, here's how to join the 3%:
Step 1: Stop Piloting. Start Reimagining.
Don't ask "What AI tool should we try?" Ask "If we rebuilt this from scratch with AI-native thinking, what would we build?"
Step 2: Think Team, Not Tool
AI isn't software you buy. It's a team member you train. What would you want from an ideal team member who:
- Never sleeps
- Never forgets
- Handles infinite scale
- Speaks every language
- Learns from every interaction
Build that.
Step 3: Measure What Matters
Stop measuring:
- Cost savings
- Tickets deflected
- Automation rate
Start measuring:
- New capabilities unlocked
- Markets you can now serve
- Revenue per employee
- Customer lifetime value
The Bottom Line
The companies winning with AI aren't the ones with the best tools.
They're the ones asking the best questions.
So here's my challenge:
Before you buy another AI tool, ask yourself:
"If I started this company today, from zero, with full knowledge of what AI can do—would I build what I have now?"
If the answer is no, you know what to do.
What do you think? Are you in the 3%? Or are you ready to get there?
Drop your thoughts below—I'd love to hear how you're approaching AI strategy in 2026.