What I'\''d Do If I Were Starting a Business Today with AI

Someone asked me this over coffee and I had to really think about it. Because the answer today is radically different from even two years ago.

What I Wouldn't Do

I wouldn't hire a receptionist. I'd set up an AI phone system in an afternoon. I wouldn't lease office space. I'd build everything remote-first with AI handling scheduling, follow-ups, and the administrative noise that eats your first year.

I wouldn't spend six months on a business plan. I'd spend six days building a prototype, let AI help me stress-test the model, and talk to ten potential customers by the end of week two.

What I Would Do

The barrier to starting a business has never been lower. But the barrier to running one well hasn't changed. You still need judgment, relationships, and the willingness to do hard things that AI can't do for you.

Use the tools to get moving faster. Just don't confuse speed with direction.

The Unchanged Fundamentals

What hasn't changed: you still need to understand your customer deeply. You still need to deliver value that people will pay for. You still need to build trust, manage cash flow, and make decisions with incomplete information. AI can help with all of these, but it can't replace the core entrepreneurial skills.

The entrepreneurs who will thrive aren't the ones who use the most AI. They're the ones who use AI to remove every possible barrier between themselves and the human work that actually matters — understanding customers, building relationships, and making judgment calls.

Start faster, but start in the right direction.