It sounds simple, but it is brutally hard to execute.
For years, I let KPI targets consume me. Every conversation turned into a transaction. Whenever I spoke with founders, my brain went straight into overdrive: How can I add value? How do I build leverage? How do I close a win-win deal?
What I completely overlooked was basic human empathy.
The founder fatigue is real
Building a company is exhausting. Most founders don’t want another polished pitch disguised as 'added value'—sometimes, they just want someone to listen. By constantly pushing an agenda, I only added to their cognitive fatigue. They already deal with dozens of people every single day angling for a sale.
Testing a different approach
Yesterday, I tested a different approach. I shared a post in a community without pitching, without hidden hooks, and without desperation. I wrote every single word myself, using AI only as a quiet grammar assistant.
It resonated deeply.
Keeping AI in the passenger seat
I spent months relying on Notion AI to flood my Content Planner, assuming raw output equaled real productivity. But audiences don’t connect with sanitized templates; they connect with honest perspectives.
Today, my drafts start with my own raw words, and AI stays where it belongs: in the passenger seat.
