There Is No Manual

Most businesses are treating AI like a LEGO set, searching for the instruction manual, wanting a step-by-step guide to guaranteed results.

That mindset works for automation. Follow the bouncing ball. Repeat the same steps. Think: automatically generating insightful dashboards, getting morning data briefings that speed up your time-to-insight, or setting up alerts when campaigns overspend or clients make account changes (shoutout to Nils for his change history script!).

But AI is different

AI isn't about following rules. It's for the messy, undefined, creative work - tasks with guidelines instead of instructions. Work that can't be coded in a spreadsheet.

Like pulling insights from raw data: AI analyzes trends, spots patterns, and writes client-ready emails explaining the "why" behind the numbers. Or creative problem-solving: AI doesn't replace your ideas - it helps you think faster. It can turn a video into an SOP document and then suggest process improvements (the o1 model excels at this).

We all know AI doesn't always get it right. It's a fancy next-word-prediction machine after all.

But what if hallucinations were a feature, not a bug? What if you developed an intuition for when they're helpful, not harmful?

When AI makes you think differently. When it sparks ideas or solves problems in unexpected ways. When it teaches you something new. When it brainstorms with you (even if it always thinks your ideas are great!)

Imagination is the only constraint.

But imagination is in short supply.

Why This Matters

Here's the reality: AI requires experimentation. It takes time. You won't get everything right the first time, and that's okay.

The people succeeding with AI aren't waiting for a manual - they're testing, iterating, and learning. They're willing to "waste" time.

To play.

This takes effort, and you can't experiment effectively if you're constantly putting out fires. That's why automation often comes first.

Once you've cleared the basics, AI lets you use "intelligence" at scale and tackle previously impossible or uneconomical tasks.

Imagine building systems that don't just execute but think through decisions, determining the next step rather than following a preset checklist.

Getting Started

Begin with automation. In Google Ads, this means scripts, auto rules, spreadsheet macros. Get quick wins and use the saved time to experiment with AI.

Start using AI as a co-pilot. Look for tasks you do 3+ times monthly that you don't enjoy but know well. See where AI could speed up the process or improve results - or both.

Remember: progress, not perfection.