The most significant productivity gains come from applying AI to every stage of development, including research, planning, product marketing, and status updates. Limiting AI to just code generation misses the larger opportunity to automate the entire engineering process.

The most powerful use of AI for business owners isn't task automation, but leveraging it as an infinitely patient strategic advisor. The most advanced technique is asking AI what questions you should be asking about your business, turning it from a simple tool into a discovery engine for growth.

Vercel's CTO Malte Ubl suggests a simple method for finding valuable internal automation tasks: ask people, "What do you hate most about your job?" This uncovers tedious work that requires some human judgment, making it a perfect sweet spot for the capabilities of current-generation AI agents.

When building complex AI systems that mediate human interactions, like an AI proctor, start by creating a service map for the ideal human-to-human experience. Define what a great real-world proctor would do and say, then use that blueprint to design the AI's behavior, ensuring it's grounded in human needs.

Treat advanced AI systems not as software with binary outcomes, but as a new employee with a unique persona. They can offer diverse, non-obvious insights and a different "chain of thought," sometimes finding issues even human experts miss and providing complementary perspectives.

The best agentic UX isn't a generic chat overlay. Instead, identify where users struggle with complex inputs like formulas or code. Replace these friction points with a native, natural language interface that directly integrates the AI into the core product workflow, making it feel seamless and powerful.

Don't view AI tools as just software; treat them like junior team members. Apply management principles: 'hire' the right model for the job (People), define how it should work through structured prompts (Process), and give it a clear, narrow goal (Purpose). This mental model maximizes their effectiveness.

The most effective application of AI isn't a visible chatbot feature. It's an invisible layer that intelligently removes friction from existing user workflows. Instead of creating new work for users (like prompt engineering), AI should simplify experiences, like automatically surfacing a 'pay bill' link without the user ever consciously 'using AI.'

A tangible way to implement a "more human" AI strategy is to use automation to free up employee time from repetitive tasks. This saved time should then be deliberately reallocated to high-value, human-centric activities, such as providing personalized customer consultations, that technology cannot replicate.