AI Breakdown

đ„đ¯đžđĢ𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚đĢ 𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭đŦ 𝐟𝐚đĻđĸđĨđĸ𝐚đĢ 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞đŦ. đ„đ¯đžđĢ𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚đĢ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 đĢ𝐨𝐨đĻ đĸđŦ 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞đĢ 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 🇨đŸ‡Ļ

Miles Walker is channel development manager at Kaseya, based in Vancouver with the head office in Miami. He has worked this show three or four years running, and he joined us at ASCII Edge in Toronto to talk about where SMBs actually start.

𝐄𝐟𝐟đĸ𝐜đĸ𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭đĸđĻ𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 đ đšđ¯đž 𝐮đŦ 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐚𝐧đŦ𝐰𝐞đĢđŦ 𝐟𝐨đĢ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩đĢđĸ𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞.

Miles put AI alongside the arrivals he has already lived through, the DVD and the internet among them. The work now is the same work as then: figure out how it makes life easier and how it makes the businesses you serve run better. Saving money helps.

🔴 On the myth he would bin: that AI is terrifying and coming for every job. Some roles will change, and his read is that the people who embrace it end up in better ones. The people running away from it are the ones with a problem.

🔴 His guidance for MSPs over the next twelve months: work out which tools actually suit you. Not every AI tool fits every MSP, and spending heavily on something that mostly writes emails is not a strategy.

🔴 His practical version: find the five or six tools that genuinely save you money and make you more efficient, and go deep on those rather than wide on everything.

🔴 A point we added on the day: match the model to the job. Reaching for the most expensive option to draft an email is how budgets disappear without much to show for it.

🔴 His highlight was the new faces. Businesses a year old, some a couple of years old, all choosing a Canadian show to understand the Canadian market.

🔴 That is what he thinks sets ASCII Edge apart. Canadian content and Canadian vendors alongside the American and European ones.

New rooms are where new ideas come from. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐓𝐡đĸđĢ𝐭𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚đĢđŦ đŦ𝐞đĢđ¯đĸ𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨đĢ 𝐩đĢ𝐨𝐟đĸ𝐭đŦ, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡đĸđŦ 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧đŦ𝐰𝐞đĢ đŦ𝐭𝐚đĢ𝐭đŦ 𝐰đĸ𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩đĨ𝐞. đŸĢą

Tony Thomas is president of PTC, a small Ontario MSP with a lovely vertical in the not for profit sector built over more than three decades. He joined us at ASCII Edge in Toronto to talk about capacity.

𝐖𝐡𝐞đĢ𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭đŦ 𝐚đĢ𝐞 𝐭đĸ𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜đĸ𝐭𝐲 đĸđŦ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨đĨ𝐞 𝐠𝐚đĻ𝐞.

Not for profits run on limited money and limited people while still producing content for board papers, funders, programmes and communities. Tony's use case is exactly there. Have that content at your fingertips, produce it and reuse it across audiences with a fraction of the effort.

🔴 Tony frames AI as a people and process question, with the technology arriving afterwards. Look at what your organisation is doing today and where the tool genuinely helps.

🔴 The myth he would end: treating this as a big technology project. He describes it instead as an introspective look at how you work with the resources you already have.

🔴 On the jobs question, his version is grounded: it lets you do your job without the doldrum of rewriting the same pages over and over.

🔴 For MSPs in the next twelve months, he was unequivocal. Use it in house first. He has deployed Copilot into a lot of organisations, and Microsoft's own adoption tooling shows you where clients have access and are not using it.

🔴 That reporting is the opening. Find the licences going unused, then help those people adopt. The revenue is in the adoption work, not the deployment.

🔴 His highlight was the whole event. Watching a presenter demo a tool and the entire room open their laptops to try it, plus the candour of a partner walking through his exit plan on stage.

🔴 The phrase that stuck from Tony: you don't know what you don't know.

Capacity is the quiet superpower. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐇𝐞 𝐩𝐨đĸ𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐭 𝐡đĸđŦ 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤đŦ 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨đĢ𝐞 𝐡𝐞 đžđ¯đžđĢ 𝐩𝐨đĸ𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 đĸ𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐜đĨđĸ𝐞𝐧𝐭'đŦ. 📊

Juan Soto is president of IT Impact in Chicago, a Microsoft data and AI certified partner and one of only a handful in the country carrying that designation. We caught him at ASCII Edge in Toronto.

𝐅đĸ𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜đĸ𝐚đĨđŦ 𝐚đĢ𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮đŦ𝐞 𝐜𝐚đŦ𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮đĨ𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 đžđ¯đžđĢ𝐲 𝐒𝐌𝐁 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞đĢ 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲.

His before picture will be familiar to a lot of owners. The P&L and the balance sheet arrive after the fact, so you spend the month reacting. Agents now read his numbers daily and weekly, and the month becomes something he manages while it is still happening.

🔴 Juan's rule for owners: budget, revenue and cost are where AI earns its keep first, because that is where the decisions live.

🔴 Daily visibility changes the questions you get to ask. A margin drifting in week two is a conversation. The same drift found in week six is a write off.

🔴 The myth he would erase: that you can hand employees the tools and productivity magically doubles. Employers owe their people the education, the training, the guidance and the policies alongside the licence.

🔴 His read on the next twelve months for MSPs: AI will keep getting better and it will keep getting more expensive, and your clients will call you first when a new feature lands.

🔴 What he does about it: two hours every single day on podcasts and articles, so his clients do not have to. If he is not on top of it, the call goes to his competition instead.

🔴 That is the quiet job description of a modern MSP. Absorbing a firehose of releases and turning it into one clear recommendation an owner can act on.

🔴 His event highlight was other owners. Trading real issues, growing the referral network, learning from people running the same business and carrying the same problems.

Preparation is the product. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 đĻ𝐨đŦ𝐭 đĸđĻ𝐩𝐨đĢ𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨đĨ𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐜đĸđŦđĸ𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 đĻ𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡đĸđŦ 𝐲𝐞𝐚đĢ 𝐩đĢ𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛đĨ𝐲 đĸđŦ𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐡đĸ𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐨đĨ 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐲. 𝐈𝐭'đŦ 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭đĢ𝐮đŦ𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞đĨ𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 đĻ𝐚𝐤𝐞 đŦ𝐞𝐧đŦ𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚đĨđĨ 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞đĻ. 🤝

For most small businesses, that person is their IT provider, and that whole industry is going through its biggest shift in decades.

This week on the 𝐒𝐌𝐁 𝐀𝐈 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚đŦ𝐭, Kree and Varun sit down in studio with 𝐉𝐞đĢđĢ𝐲 đŠđ¨đŽđ­đšđ¯đšđŦ, CEO of The ASCII Group, the original vendor neutral community for IT providers across North America, founded in 1984. Jerry has spent nearly thirty years in this channel.

The numbers that frame it: 📊

📊 The managed services market is forecast to grow just 𝟏𝟎% this year, with real margin pressure as basic IT gets commoditized

📊 Yet specialist providers who advise, rather than resell boxes, report about 𝟑𝟎% higher margins and charge more, not less

📊 Roughly 𝟗𝟓% of AI pilots deliver no measurable return, and two thirds of companies get stuck in experiments that never scale

📊 ASCII has powered over 𝟓𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 exchanges, providers helping providers

Jerry's throughline: the technology keeps getting cheaper and easier. What stays scarce is trusted advice from someone who understands your business. If your provider only ever talks hardware, licences and problems, that's the commodity relationship AI keeps making cheaper. The one worth paying for asks how your business is trying to grow.

What this means for you: when your provider brings you AI, ask one question. What number in my business is this going to change, and how will we know? Answer that clearly and they're an advisor. Only features, that's a sale. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐖𝐞 đŦ𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐲đŦ đĸ𝐧𝐭𝐞đĢđ¯đĸ𝐞𝐰đĸ𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩đĨ𝐞 đŦđĻ𝐚đĨđĨ 𝐛𝐮đŦđĸ𝐧𝐞đŦđŦ𝐞đŦ 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚đĨđĨ𝐲 𝐜𝐚đĨđĨ 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨đĨ𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐛đĢ𝐞𝐚𝐤đŦ. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨đĢ𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚đĻ𝐞 𝐮𝐩 đĻ𝐨đŦ𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚đŦ𝐧'𝐭 𝐀𝐈. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚đŦ 𝐜𝐨đĻđĻ𝐮𝐧đĸ𝐭𝐲. 🤝

At ASCII Edge in Toronto, the providers who keep small businesses running gathered to work out the same question, together. Not how do I beat the shop next to me. How do we all figure this out. One first time attendee, there as a vendor, said the cooperation genuinely surprised her.

This week on 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐁đĢ𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, we bring you what those providers told us, straight from the floor:

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐓 đŦ𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨đĢ𝐭. 𝐘𝐨𝐮đĢ 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐀𝐈 𝐠đĢ𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚đĢ𝐭𝐧𝐞đĢ.

AI was in every hallway conversation. But underneath the tools, the real message was how these providers are changing, from fixing what breaks into genuine transformation partners for the businesses they serve.

🔴 Juan Soto of IT Impact in Chicago pointed AI at his own books, moving to daily P&L monitoring. He used it before he sold it.

🔴 Ashley put it plainly: if you're not using the tools yourself, you can't convince a customer to transform.

🔴 Chad Kemp, twenty eight years in, said find the problem first, then bring the technology. That makes you harder to replace.

🔴 Wayne Hunter cited a survey where 69% of enterprise AI projects failed, because they bought tools before defining the problem.

And on the fear everyone expects: nobody in that room thought jobs were going away. The anxiety was about keeping pace, not replacement.

The best partners start with your business, not the technology. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐓𝐡đĸ𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐓 𝐩đĢđ¨đ¯đĸ𝐝𝐞đĢ 𝐲𝐨𝐮đĢ 𝐛𝐮đŦđĸ𝐧𝐞đŦđŦ 𝐮đŦ𝐞đŦ. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝đĸ𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡đĸđĢ𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞đĻ, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨đĢ? 𝐅𝐨đĢ đĻ𝐨đŦ𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞đĢđŦ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞đŦ𝐭 𝐚𝐧đŦ𝐰𝐞đĢ đĸđŦ: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 đĨ𝐚đŦ𝐭 𝐭đĸđĻ𝐞 đŦ𝐨đĻ𝐞𝐭𝐡đĸ𝐧𝐠 𝐛đĢ𝐨𝐤𝐞. 🤔

That was a reasonable way to run IT for twenty years. Fix the server, clear the virus, keep things running. But that isn't the whole job now, and most owners haven't had the conversation about what's next.

This week on 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐁đĢ𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, Kree and Varun open a theme that runs all seven days:

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐓 đŦ𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨đĢ𝐭. 𝐘𝐨𝐮đĢ 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐀𝐈 𝐠đĢ𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚đĢ𝐭𝐧𝐞đĢ.

At a recent MSP conference, providers running ten and fifteen person shops weren't asking how to add an AI feature. They were asking how to become their clients' AI transformation partner. The ones figuring it out are pulling away from the ones waiting for a support ticket.

The numbers behind the shift: 📊

📊 The global managed services market is worth over $𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝐛đĸđĨđĨđĸ𝐨𝐧 and growing, driven by AI on top of the systems

📊 𝟓𝟑% of IT providers already use AI internally to run their own operations

📊 𝟓𝟓% of businesses now expect their IT provider to have adopted AI

Here's the credibility test any owner can run. Juan Soto, who runs an IT firm in Chicago, pointed AI at his own books first, moving to daily P&L monitoring. The provider worth keeping has lived it before they sell it.

Your move: 

🔴 Ask your provider, in these exact words, do you use AI in your own business? 

🔴 Ask their specific plan to help you grow, not just stay online. 

🔴 Work out how many hours offline before it's a crisis. No number means a hope, not a plan.

This week, Jerry Koutavas joins us. Thirty years watching this exact shift. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐚đĢđŦ 𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐨đĨ 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 đĢ𝐞𝐜𝐨đĢ𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮đĢ đŦ𝐜đĢ𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐚đŦ 𝐛đĢ𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐩đĢđĸđ¯đšđœđ˛ 𝐧đĸ𝐠𝐡𝐭đĻ𝐚đĢ𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮đĨđĨ𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡đĸđŦ 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 đ¯đžđĢđŦđĸ𝐨𝐧 đĨ𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞đŦ 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨đĢ𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩đĨ𝐞 𝐚đĢ𝐞 đĨđĸ𝐧đĸ𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐮đĢ𝐧 đĸ𝐭 𝐨𝐧. đŸ˜ŗ

Same idea, opposite reaction. What changed was the deal. Back then it just helped you find a file. Now it learns your job so the AI can do it for you.

Today on 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐁đĢ𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, Quentin and Stark close the week: 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧đŦ. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨đŦ𝐭 𝐨𝐟 đĸ𝐧𝐭𝐞đĨđĨđĸ𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Now that AI can finally learn how you personally work, the question stops being what can it do, and becomes what should you hand it. There's a clean way to decide.

The deputisation audit, in three numbers: 📊

📊 𝐅đĸđ¯đž questions to score each task: how often, how teachable, how checkable, how costly a mistake, and how much it must be you

📊 𝐓𝐡đĢ𝐞𝐞 tiers. High, you deputise and hand it over. Low, you defend and keep it. The messy middle, you duet: AI drafts, you finish

📊 𝟐𝟒 hours, how long it took a plumbing owner to go from nothing to an AI handling his dispatch, no engineers

That's the whole week in one framework, because the cost of intelligence moved every day: your attention, then trust, then a subscription and the keys you hand over, then reputation over value. And today, the last piece: now intelligence is cheap, the real cost is choosing badly what to hand it.

Your move: 

🔴 List the tasks you repeat, and score each on those five things. 

🔴 Hand over one clear winner and actually deputise it. 

🔴 Name one you'll defend and keep, and let AI duet on the middle.

The scarce thing was never the intelligence. It's the judgement about where to spend it. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 đŦ𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝đĸ𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 đĸđŦ đĸ𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 đĸ𝐭 đŦ𝐚𝐲đŦ đŦ𝐨đĻ𝐞𝐭𝐡đĸ𝐧𝐠 đŦ𝐮đĢ𝐩đĢđĸđŦđĸ𝐧𝐠. 𝐁𝐮đŦđĸ𝐧𝐞đŦđŦ𝐞đŦ đĄđšđ¯đž đĒ𝐮đĸ𝐞𝐭đĨ𝐲 đŦ𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐲đĸ𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 đ¯đžđĢ𝐲 𝐛𝐞đŦ𝐭 𝐀𝐈 đĻ𝐨𝐝𝐞đĨ, đžđ¯đžđ§ 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 đĸ𝐭'đŦ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 đŦđĻ𝐚đĢ𝐭𝐞đŦ𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 đšđ¯đšđĸđĨ𝐚𝐛đĨ𝐞. đŸ˜ŗ

Their verdict: for most real work, more brainpower is no longer worth the extra cost. The frontier kept climbing, and the customers just stopped following it up the mountain.

Today on 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐁đĢ𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, Quentin and Stark pull this week's theme out of that data: 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧đŦ. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨đŦ𝐭 𝐨𝐟 đĸ𝐧𝐭𝐞đĨđĨđĸ𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

The numbers, and the catch underneath: 📊

📊 Only 𝟔% of one big lab's usage went to its most powerful model, about 𝟏𝟏% of the dollars. By volume, the flagship is niche

📊 The blunt read everyone quoted: extra performance is no longer worth the price, especially with open models only months behind

📊 The catch: that top model carries a 𝟑𝟎 𝐝𝐚𝐲 data retention rule that bars many employees, and the data came from a tool whose job is cutting spend

So the headline is right, but for messier reasons than it looks. The real lesson: do not take anyone's average as your answer. The right model for you depends on your work, your rules, and your budget, not a chart. The only number that matters is what a model costs to get a good result on your task.

Your move: 

🔴 Take the one AI task you run most often and define what a good answer looks like. 

🔴 Run it on your current model and a cheaper one, comparing quality and cost side by side. 

🔴 If the cheaper one clears your bar, switch the routine work and keep the pricey model only for jobs that need it.

Stop paying for intelligence by reputation. Pay for it by what it actually delivers. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐒𝐨đĻ𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 đŦ𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡đĢ𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐡𝐞đĨ𝐩𝐞đĢđŦ 𝐭𝐡đĸđŦ 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐚 đĢ𝐞đŦ𝐞𝐚đĢ𝐜𝐡𝐞đĢ, 𝐚 𝐰đĢđĸ𝐭𝐞đĢ, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐡đĸ𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐟 đŦ𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 đĻ𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞đĢ 𝐭𝐰𝐨, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚đŦ𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 đĻ𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞đĢ 𝐭𝐨 đĢ𝐮𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨đĨ𝐞 𝐩đĢ𝐨đŖ𝐞𝐜𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐩. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐨đĢ𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟đĸđĢđŦ𝐭 𝐭đĢ𝐲. đŸ˜ŗ

One tester called it less an assistant and more the intern who somehow became chief operating officer overnight. And the striking part is that none of it is new technology. It's packaging.

Today on 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐁đĢ𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, Quentin and Stark sharpen this week's theme: 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧đŦ. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨đŦ𝐭 𝐨𝐟 đĸ𝐧𝐭𝐞đĨđĨđĸ𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

The cost of intelligence is finally low enough that a one person business can run a little team of agents. So where did the cost go?

The numbers that separate promise from price: 📊

📊 𝐙𝐞đĢ𝐨 setup. Everything here existed before; what changed is it now hides behind a chat window simple enough that people use it

📊 $𝟑𝟎𝟎 a month for the top tier. Small if it runs your busywork, expensive if you set it up, lose interest, and keep paying

📊 The third cost isn't money, it's your đĨ𝐨𝐠đĸ𝐧đŦ. To do real work it signs into your actual accounts the way you do, not through a safe, narrow connection

So the easy button is real, but you still decide how much of the building it gets keys to.

Your move: 

🔴 Give one agent a single low stakes job you repeat, an inbox sort, a weekly summary, a first draft campaign. 

🔴 Connect it only to the accounts that job needs, nothing near money or customers yet. 

🔴 Watch it for a week, then weigh the monthly cost against the hours it gives back.

The team of agents is finally easy to hire. Just remember you're paying in dollars and in trust. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 đĻ𝐨đŦ𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞đĢ𝐟𝐮đĨ đĻ𝐞𝐧 đĸ𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨đĨ𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐛đĨđĸđŦ𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐚 đŦđĸ𝐱 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮đŦ𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨đĢ𝐝 𝐞đŦđŦ𝐚𝐲 𝐩đĢ𝐨đĻđĸđŦđĸ𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈 𝐰đĸđĨđĨ 𝐞đĻ𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞đĢ đžđ¯đžđĢ𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐛đĸđĨđĨđĸ𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨đĨđĨ𝐚đĢđŦ. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 đ¨đ¯đžđĢ 𝐛𝐚𝐝đĨ𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 đŦ𝐚đĻ𝐞 𝐜𝐨đĻ𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐞đĸ𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮đŦ𝐚𝐧𝐝 đŖ𝐨𝐛đŦ 𝐭𝐡đĸđŦ 𝐲𝐞𝐚đĢ. đŸ˜ŗ

People didn't argue with the message. They didn't trust the messenger. That gap is the whole lesson.

Today on 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐁đĢ𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, Quentin and Stark find this week's theme in the backlash: 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧đŦ. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨đŦ𝐭 𝐨𝐟 đĸ𝐧𝐭𝐞đĨđĨđĸ𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Intelligence is getting cheap, but trust never was, and it's the one thing you cannot buy by the token.

The numbers underneath: 

📊 A $𝟏 𝐛đĸđĨđĨđĸ𝐨𝐧 fund for data centre communities, treated not as charity but the price of being allowed to build

📊 The essay's sharpest point: compute is 𝐟đĸ𝐧đĸ𝐭𝐞, so every use has an opportunity cost. Spend intelligence on invention, not just cutting a cost

📊 𝟖,𝟎𝟎𝟎 jobs cut this year while preaching AI will grow employment. The message bounced because actions didn't match words

📊 About 𝟔𝟒% of people already believe social media harmed society. AI is paying for those sins

Here's why this scales down to you. You can't out spend the giants on compute or marketing. But you can out behave them on trust, because your customers can see you keep your word. That's an edge a small business already owns.

Your move: 

🔴 Tell customers plainly where AI is now part of what you do, in terms of what they get. 

🔴 Give them an easy path to a human your team can honour. 

🔴 Pick one place you use AI to cut a cost, and ask whether it could instead make something worth more.

Cheap intelligence you can buy. Trust you have to earn. 🎙ī¸

Stream on:

â–ļī¸ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SMBAIHUB

â–ļī¸ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/b93fd52f-bc53-4ee9-98d7-3b9e10ea0e6f/ai-breakdown

â–ļī¸ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/ai-breakdown/id6799578599

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaimagazine.com

â–ļī¸ Web: smbaipodcast.com

Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.