The rapid growth of AI products isn't due to a sudden market desire for AI technology itself. Rather, AI enables superior solutions for long-standing customer problems that were previously addressed with inadequate options. The demand existed long before the AI-powered supply arrived to meet it.

Once you define your current customer, use AI as a strategic partner to forecast their evolution. Prompt ChatGPT to build out the next phases of their journey—three years from now or after they achieve a specific milestone. This helps you proactively design an ascension model of products that grows with them.

Unlike previous tech waves that trickled down from large institutions, AI adoption is inverted. Individuals are the fastest adopters, followed by small businesses, with large corporations and governments lagging. This reverses the traditional power dynamic of technology access and creates new market opportunities.

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.

During a fundamental technology shift like the current AI wave, traditional market size analysis is pointless because new markets and behaviors are being created. Investors should de-emphasize TAM and instead bet on founders who have a clear, convicted vision for how the world will change.

Previous technology shifts like mobile or client-server were often pushed by technologists onto a hesitant market. In contrast, the current AI trend is being pulled by customers who are actively demanding AI features in their products, creating unprecedented pressure on companies to integrate them quickly.

Go beyond simple prospect research and use AI to track broad market sentiment. By analyzing vast amounts of web data, AI can identify what an entire audience is looking for and bothered by right now, revealing emerging pain points and allowing for more timely and relevant outreach.

To lead in the age of AI, it's not enough to use new tools; you must intentionally disrupt your own effective habits. Force yourself to build, write, and communicate in new ways to truly understand the paradigm shift, even when your old methods still work well.

Go beyond using AI for simple efficiency gains. Engage with advanced reasoning models as if they were expert business consultants. Ask them deep, strategic questions to fundamentally innovate and reimagine your business, not just incrementally optimize current operations.