“Before asking for more headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI.”
That’s what Tobias Lütke, CEO of retail technology company Shopify, told his employees in a recent memo. That directive — to look to artificial intelligence before seeking additional human resources — made headlines in April. But Lütke’s broader philosophy toward AI, which is what most of the memo dwells on, should be of greater interest to small business leaders because much of it can be emulated by them.
The CEO said that “reflexive AI usage” is a “baseline expectation” at the company. He laid out several key points about how the company should approach AI going forward.
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For small businesses, the most salient are these:
Everyone is expected to use AI. “Frankly, I don't think it's feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI in your craft,” Lütke told his team.
AI use will be part of employee performance reviews. Reviews are the best way to track employee progress in getting better at AI, he said: “My sense is that a lot of people give up after writing a prompt and not getting the ideal thing back immediately.”
Employees should share what they learn. The company has given workers access to many AI tools, so they’re expected to share their successes and failures. “We’ll learn and adapt together as a team,” Lütke said.
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