We are tempted to buy every new AI tool to stay competitive. How do we use Keith Cunningham's Thinking Time approach to avoid paying a massive dumb tax on software?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Shiny object syndrome is the fastest way to waste capital and distract your leadership team. To avoid paying a heavy dumb tax on unnecessary software, you must discipline your decision-making. Schedule dedicated Thinking Time sessions of thirty to forty-five minutes with a pen and a pad of paper, completely free from distractions. Before you begin, formulate a high-value question. Use the framing: How might we solve our current operational bottleneck so that we can increase capacity, without purchasing new software? Or: How might we validate the return on investment of this AI tool before we roll it out to the entire company? This intellectual discipline forces you to distinguish between a real business problem and a technological distraction. Do not buy software to solve a process problem that you have not first solved manually. Use your Level 10 Meetings to hold the team accountable to this standard. If an AI tool cannot clearly tie back to improving a metric on your Scorecard or achieving a specific Rock, it does not belong in your budget.