With AI poised to introduce fundamental changes in how industries function and how people work, virtually every business today is thinking about AI and how they can harness its benefits. According to JB Herrera, founder of AI-augmented business strategy consultancy Insight Driven Business, most organizations who are utilizing AI are using it to solve a specific task or serve as a shortcut or “easy button”.
However, Herrera believes that AI can be used to go beyond that, unlocking more value for individuals, organizations, and society. Insight Driven Business envisions a world of socially responsible entrepreneurship that augments human brilliance with artificial intelligence. In this world, AI enables businesses to create transformative opportunities for individuals and communities at large.
Rather than just providing a prefabricated AI-powered tool for the client to use, Insight Driven Business works closely with clients to solve their unique, specific problems and complex challenges. These include scaling operations efficiently, data-driven decision-making, innovation and competitive differentiation, customer experience, and many more. Herrera also makes it clear that AI will be used, not to replace humans, but to augment them, which allows the organization to achieve its objectives more effectively and efficiently.
As part of its AI-augmented business consulting offering, Insight Driven Business gets to know the client closely, including its customer base, values, mission, vision, and goals for the short, medium, and long term. According to Herrera, creating this alignment with the client is very important, not just for the purposes of AI, but it also applies to how consultancies and agencies should be working with their clients, in general. With a wealth of information in hand, Insight Driven Business feeds this to its AI large language model, which synthesizes the various methodologies created by top business thinkers, such as Peter Drucker, W. Edwards Deming, Jim Collins, and Jack Welch.
By combining the information gathered from the client and the methodologies the AI has been trained on, Insight Driven Business will be able to create custom-designed objectives and key results (OKRs) for the client.
While this may be the endpoint for other consultancies, Herrera believes that there is more to be done. Insight Driven Business continues working with the client for three to five years, ensuring they are on track and assisting them in achieving their objectives. This allows Insight Driven Business and its plans to evolve with the client organization’s needs over time.
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“Our approach to AI consulting transcends one-size-fits-all solutions,” Herrera says. “We understand inefficiencies unique to mid-market businesses and offer strategies developed from an in-depth understanding of the client’s business model and growth stage. This approach ensures precision scaling and data-informed decision-making, crucial for businesses aiming to grow and scale in today’s frenetic marketplace.”
Insight Driven Business’ first product, AI CoPilots for coaches and small businesses, exemplifies this approach to implementing AI. These CoPilots are trained according to the client’s specific needs, allowing the AI to expand and enhance their business. Unlike general-purpose AI large language models, CoPilots are seamlessly integrated into the client’s workflow and interface, acting as a natural extension of the business. Rather than just being a utility for the business, AI is harnessed as a genuine application of the technology.
But, to act as an extension of the client’s identity, the AI must be trained on their values, vision, and how the client would react to the unintended consequences of working towards their vision. By following this process, any negative unintended consequences can be minimized and mitigated.
“We are taking human principles of philosophy, psychology, and sociology and applying them to the AI world,” Herrera says. “These serve as the guardrails for AI, preventing it from being used unethically or to harm others.”
Looking forward, Herrera says he aims to work with people who share his vision of bringing people and AI together, using technology to build a better life for themselves. Insight Driven Business’ product roadmap includes AI assistants that manage workflows and robotic process automation that takes over repetitive office tasks. This allows workers to focus on matters that require human ingenuity and judgment, which are things that AI cannot replicate.
“I want to build Insight Driven Business and engage other people who can carry this on long beyond after I retire,” he says. “When I wake up in the morning, my first thoughts are asking myself ‘Who can I serve today?’ and ‘What can I do to have a positive impact on their life?'”
By using Insight Driven Business’ unique combination of personalized consulting, advanced AI technology, and meticulous implementation, Herrera is able to prime businesses not just for the future, but also help them create their own future.
