{{first_name | Leader}}, welcome back.
Today’s updates touched three uncomfortable but important questions. How AI gets paid for, how companies stay differentiated, and how far some leaders are willing to go next. Take a look.
Granola fits into meetings without changing how you work*
ChatGPT tests targeted ads for free users
Shared AI tools risk eroding differentiation
OpenAI backs Altman’s brain-computer startup
Tools, resources, and a prompt when work feels slow because rules, reviews, or coordination have piled up over time. ⬇️
Granola works differently.
There are no meeting bots. Nothing joins your call.
Granola transcribes directly from your device’s audio (on your computer or your phone). It works with any meeting tool: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and even for in-person conversations.
You stay focused and jot down notes like you normally would. Granola quietly transcribes and enhances the important bits in the background.
And if you want to be extra thoughtful or compliant, you can always send a quick consent email beforehand - automatically disclosing your use of Granola.
Try granola at your next meeting and see how much easier it is to stay present.
OpenAI plans to introduce limited, topic-based ads inside ChatGPT for free and Go tier users in the U.S. Ads will appear at the bottom of conversations, can be dismissed, and include controls to explain or turn off personalization. Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise tiers will remain ad-free, and ads will not be shown to minors.
A recent analysis highlights how companies using the same AI models for writing, analysis, and decision support risk producing increasingly similar outputs. As identical tools become standard across teams, internal expertise and institutional knowledge may weaken over time, reducing meaningful differentiation.
OpenAI has backed Merge Labs, a brain-tech startup co-founded by Sam Altman, which raised a large seed round to develop non-invasive brain-computer interfaces using ultrasound. The technology aims to create high-bandwidth connections between the brain and AI systems without implants, focusing on long-term research rather than near-term commercial applications.
Productivity Tools
🌀 Airops - Build, deploy, and manage AI workflows for content and operations.
🌐 Sphere - Centralizes company knowledge into a searchable AI workspace.
🍽 Supper - AI-powered website builder focused on speed and simplicity.
🤝 Duvo - AI assistant for customer engagement and operational support.
Get featured tomorrow: How do you use AI for business/personally? Interesting stories will be shared with 100K curious readers.
Useful Resources
Why answer engine optimization (AEO) is becoming as important as SEO.
A practical guide to agentic automation and where it actually works.
Anthropic releases Cowork, a local file system agent for daily tasks.
A real-world look at debugging failures across 20 AI agents.
Real workflow examples teams are automating with AI today.
What do boards care most about with AI today?
💰 Funding
Otto Sport AI raised $16.5M to develop an AI-powered operating system for youth sports.
A47 raised $2M to build an AI-native news platform.
💼 Roles in AI
🐦 Prompts are your IP!
Tell Me Where I’m Overcomplicating Things
When to use this?
When teams are capable, but work feels slow because rules, reviews, or coordination have piled up over time.
You are my simplification advisor. I’ll describe how work currently gets done across teams.
Your job:
Identify where we’ve added unnecessary complexity
Explain why it exists (risk avoidance, legacy habits, unclear ownership)
Point out what could be removed without increasing risk
Recommend one simplification I can enforce immediately
Be blunt and practical.
Current state: [paste how things work today]Correct Input Style:
Paste process descriptions, not outcomes.
“Current state:
Every decision needs 3 approvals.
Docs reviewed in multiple tools.
AI pilots need separate sign-offs.
Teams escalate minor issues.”
P.S. Get more such prompts in the Prompting Playbook (free for you)
Q. How are large companies organizing AI teams in 2026?
Stay curious, {{first_name | leaders}}
PS. If you missed yesterday’s issue, you can find it here.