Canva positions its data science team as a partner that empowers marketers with information, rather than a gatekeeper that stifles creativity. This allows the marketing team to remain focused on their core function and take big, creative swings that can't be fully measured upfront.

Early AI adoption focuses on productivity (e.g., writing copy faster). The next stage of maturity is using AI to directly impact revenue. For example, Canva uses AI to create and test 20% more ad variations, leading to more engaging, higher-converting campaigns that drive business results.

Don't feel pressured to label every AI-powered enhancement as an "AI feature." For example, using AI to generate CSS for a new dark mode is simply a better way to build. The focus should be on the user benefit (dark mode), not the underlying technology, making AI an invisible, powerful tool.

Generic AI creates content without context. In contrast, 'Brand-Aware AI' functions like a strategic coach that understands your brand's rules and learns from performance data. It shifts from just generating content to actively recommending improvements based on what resonates.

To get mainstream users to adopt AI, you can't ask them to learn a new workflow. The key is to integrate AI capabilities directly into the tools and processes they already use. AI should augment their current job, not feel like a separate, new task they have to perform.

Now that generative AI is accessible to all, claiming "we have AI" is table stakes. The real competitive advantage lies in clearly articulating what the AI *does* for the user to create a differentiated product experience and value proposition. The key question is always, "So what?"

Tools like Descript excel by integrating AI into every step of the user's core workflow—from transcription and filler word removal to clip generation. This "baked-in" approach is more powerful than simply adding a standalone "AI" button, as it fundamentally enhances the entire job-to-be-done.

Instead of focusing on AI features, understand the two mental shifts it creates for customers. It either offers a superior method for an existing, tedious task ("a better way") or it makes a previously unattainable goal achievable ("now possible"). Your product must align with one of these two thoughts.

To maximize AI's impact, don't just find isolated use cases for content or demand gen teams. Instead, map a core process like a campaign workflow and apply AI to augment each stage, from strategy and creation to localization and measurement. AI is workflow-native, not function-native.