Did you know Microsoft is offering up to $32,500 to salespeople for landing each new Microsoft Copilot customer?
That tells us one of two things (or maybe both):
Let’s unpack the second scenario, and why I think Microsoft is making such a bold bet.
When business leaders are dipping their toes into AI, one of the first questions they ask me is:
“Which AI platform should we use?”
The usual suspects always come up—ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and increasingly strong challengers like Claude from Anthropic and Perplexity AI.
For most businesses, my advice is simple:
Start with ChatGPT Teams or Enterprise (on a monthly plan).
Why? Because your goal right now isn’t to lock yourself into a long-term AI platform but to start learning how AI can revolutionize your company.
Here’s why I think ChatGPT is the best launchpad today:
That last point is crucial. What most leaders don’t realize is that a battle for the AI Operating System of your company is raging right now, and each provider is trying to land their customers for the next 20 years.
And trust me, Microsoft knows the stakes. They’re fighting tooth and nail to win the battle. That’s why they’re willing to spend big to acquire customers.
But the million-dollar-question is: which AI is best for your company?
To help you figure that out, I’m launching a new initiative:
I’m interviewing 20 companies (5 for each platform) to uncover how they’re getting the most value out of these tools. And I’ll share the results here.
Have you started using Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity in your business?
To make sure my advice stays accurate, independent, and grounded in real-world experiences, I’m launching an effort to meet with 20 new companies over the next two months. The goal? To get on-the-ground truth of which AI applications work best and how to maximize their value.
If your company has deployed any of these tools and found benefits, I’d love to hear about it. A quick 30-minute chat about your approach and insights would be incredibly helpful. Plus, I’ll be sharing all my findings here, so you’ll get the full benefit of what others are learning too.
Fast forward five years: my bet is that your workday won’t revolve around email or creating documents. Instead, your company will rely on what I call an AI Operating System, seamlessly integrated into your workflows.
Imagine this:
Choosing and building the right AI OS for your company might be the single biggest transformation your business will ever undertake.
That’s why I recommend starting with ChatGPT: it lets you explore how to best use AI in your company without locking yourself into a long-term commitment.
In the remainder of today’s issue, we’ll:
Last week I gave out 20 free licenses to my Introduction to Generative AI and Working Backwards with AI online courses. So far, 100% 5 Star Reviews. Reach out if you want to learn more about deploying these to your workforce for an immediate productivity improvement! From these courses to my leadership and staff workshops, I can help you get going in 30 days or less!
Also: Don’t forget to sign up to the first AI SPRINT webinar on January 29th to review the month, share key updates in AI, take any questions, and preview what’s ahead.
Last week I introduced the AI SPRINT AI Adoption framework, six-steps any company can follow to effectively implement AI, overcoming high consulting costs and complexity. AI has the potential to disrupt markets, create new opportunities, and fundamentally change how businesses operate, and evaluating that is the second step of the SPRINT Framework: POSITION your Company to Differentiate itself with AI.
This step is about understanding where you stand today and identifying where AI can give you an edge tomorrow.
To effectively position your company with AI, answer these three critical questions:
Answering these questions will help you define where AI can make the greatest impact, either by strengthening your current position or enabling you to leap ahead of the competition. This clarity is the foundation of a strong, differentiated AI strategy. In my workshops, I bring in the best methods of evaluating competitive strengths and identifying new opportunities, allowing a leadership team to create a new AI-enabled business strategy in a single day.
Leaders are often faced be imagining different scenarios that may come true, and then creating plans to prepare for them. AI is a great partner to help do this effectively. Try this prompt:
Generate three potential scenarios in the case of a [market downturn] using the TOWS Matrix, for our business [describe]
Example: Generate three potential scenarios in the case of high climate change risk using the TOWS Matrix, for my residential construction business.
If you’re just starting out with AI, go with ChatGPT Teams or Enterprise—it’s simple, flexible, and gets your team learning right away without a long-term commitment. Focus instead on tools that can boost your team’s productivity now, while keeping an eye on how these decisions will shape your future AI Operating System.
Action Step: Reach out today to schedule a leadership workshop or discussion to unlock AI's potential for your organization. Use this as a chance to SPARK Action and get your team thinking about your next moves in the AI journey.
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