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You Just Hired Three New Team Members (At $20 p.m.)

Leaders Don’t Need More Time, Just Better Rhythms

Don't think of AI as technology. Think of it as three skilled people that everyone in your company now has access to.

So says Dawid Naude, Founder and CEO of Pathfinder, who told this week’s Growth Faculty masterclass to start thinking of AI as a person, or rather THREE people:

**The Assistant:** A highly capable graduate who needs direction but works incredibly fast. Perfect for quick tasks, web searches, and routine work. They're cheap and speedy, though they make mistakes and need supervision.

**The Thinker:** Someone who's read every book in your field and the entire internet. They process information deeply, analyse data, and solve complex problems. The trade-off is waiting a few minutes for their considered response.

**The Creator:** Your audio, video, and visual content specialist. Whether you need mockups, presentations, or marketing materials, this is your go-to team member.

The Three-Person Team You Just Hired

Dawid is adamant leaders now need to become skilled AI users themselves. Three years into the AI boom, it's time to get hands-on, he says.

Once they experience what's possible firsthand it unlocks awareness and drives genuine adoption across the business.

"Leaders have to become power users of AI"

A recent study found that 95% of generative AI pilots are failing. But AI has grown up dramatically in the last two years, and there's a way to measure its performance called "evals" (evaluations).

Two years ago, AI scored about 10% on expert-level scientific questions. Today it achieves 94%.

It’s also scoring high on usefulness. A new benchmark measuring economically important tasks shows that experts now prefer AI responses over human responses 47% of the time across 44 different professions.

Dawid says we're already at the point where AI is as useful as a person for many everyday tasks.

The key is using the right model for the job.

Why AI is Struggling (And How to Fix It)

Most people use AI's "assistant" mode by default (the quick, instant responses). But when you need accuracy, depth, or want to avoid errors, including the dreaded "hallucinations" where AI makes things up, Dawid recommends you activate the "thinker."

**In ChatGPT:** Select "5.1 Thinking" from the dropdown menu instead of leaving it on "Auto." Be prepared to wait 1-2 minutes for higher-quality responses.

**In Microsoft Copilot:** Click "Researcher" for in-depth reports (20-30 minutes) or "Analyst" for data work. For regular queries, add "(think really hard)" to your prompt to trigger the reasoning model.

Dawid says that when AI uses its thinking mode, it double-checks its work, references sources, and solves problems more reliably.

The One Thing That Solves 95% of AI Problems

In real time, Dawid showed how AI dealt with this workflow:

·        He asked AI's "thinker" mode to research whether building an AI travel companion app for Qantas makes sense

·        We watched as it conducted 400+ web searches, analysed competitive landscapes, technical requirements, and market opportunities

·        In six minutes, we saw it present a comprehensive white paper with specific data and recommendations

·        Dawid then asked: "Based on everything you've learned, can you create a mockup of what the app could look like?"

·        Within minutes, the AI threw up working prototypes to review

Using AI like this, an initial team meeting could evaluate three different prototypes that team members created in an hour each, rather than debating whether to explore this idea.

As Dawid says, the strategic risk of waiting now exceeds the investment risk of exploring.

Real-World Example: Should Qantas Build a Travel App?

The best way to use AI is for learning. It's the world's greatest personalisation engine.

Try asking AI to "Explain Like I'm 8" (ELI8) when you encounter unfamiliar concepts. For example, when faced with technical jargon like "carbon MRV for ACCU credits," AI can break it down into simple language, translate it into a bedtime story narrated by Optimus Prime, or reframe it however you need to understand it quickly.

This demonstrates AI's ability to personalise complex information for any audience. Think about the applications for training, marketing, and internal communications.

Learning: The Number One Use Case for Leaders

Instead of elaborate prompting techniques, Dawid prefers this method:

Instead of trying to craft the perfect prompt with all the context upfront, simply add: **"But ask me five questions before answering."**

Even better: use voice mode. Push the microphone button and speak naturally. Rambling is fine, more is more when talking to AI. It will figure out what you mean. This works especially well on mobile with earphones during a walk.

Your first assignment? Open ChatGPT, Gemini, or your preferred AI tool and say: "Can you interview me and help me find the top 10 ways to use AI in my role?"

Skip the Complicated Prompts

**Audit Your Own Productivity**

Ask AI (using the "thinker" mode or "researcher" function): "Go through all my emails, calendar, and files. See if how I'm spending my time aligns with my stated goals and KPIs."

If you connect tools like Copilot or Gemini to your work accounts, this takes about 30 minutes and provides a brutally honest assessment of where your time goes versus where you think it goes.

**Create Business Cases with Prototypes**

Next time you're evaluating a new initiative, don't start with research. Ask AI to:

*   Research the opportunity and create a white paper (using researcher/thinker mode)
*   Build mockups or prototypes of what the solution could look like
*   Generate multiple design options for your team to evaluate

You'll arrive at your first meeting with substance, not just discussion topics.

**Analyse Unstructured Data**

Upload messy data (customer feedback, survey responses, sales notes) and ask AI to find patterns, insights, and recommendations.

One olive oil producer used this to count buds on branches (from photos) to forecast yield. A marketing team used it to generate video concepts.

What unstructured data is sitting in your business that could yield insights?

**Generate Custom Marketing Assets**

Google's Gemini and similar tools can now create videos, images, and interactive content. A farmer was able to generate stock footage of "shallow frying potato wedges in extra virgin olive oil in an olive grove on a sunny afternoon" in minutes.

Even if you don't use these as final assets, Dawid asks us imagine your team bringing three video concepts to your next campaign meeting instead of starting with blank whiteboards.

**Build Interactive Tools (Yes, You)**

Dawid says the word of the year for 2025 is "vibe coding," creating functional applications by describing what you want. Tools like Replit and features in ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini now let you build working prototypes without coding knowledge.

Try: "Create a tool that helps me \[specific task related to your work\]." You might be surprised by what gets built.

Five Practical Scenarios to Try This Week

Some of Dawid’s recommendations of tools you might like to try:

**For most work:** ChatGPT (set to "5.1 Thinking") or Claude  
**For deep research:** Use the "Researcher" function in any major AI tool (takes 20-30 minutes, produces white papers)  
**For presentations and infographics:** Google's NotebookLM (upload documents, click "create slide deck" or "create infographic")  
**For video:** Google Gemini with Veo (leverages YouTube's training data)  
**For building apps:** Replit or the built-in artifact features in Claude and ChatGPT

Most of these cost around $20 per month for professional access.

The Tools You Need to Know

The next two years will be the fastest growth period in tech history. There's currently an arms race to build the world's biggest supercomputers. AI systems will be 100 to 1,000 times more capable than they are today.

The question is whether you'll be ready, and whether your competitors will get there first.

What's Coming Next

Dawid’s recommendation for getting started:

·        Download ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini on your phone

·        Put in your earphones and go for a walk

·        Activate voice mode and say: "Can you interview me and help me find ways to use AI in my daily work?"

·        Have a conversation. Let it ask questions. Explore the possibilities.

·        Pick one idea and try it immediately.

He says the best way to understand AI's capability is to use it selfishly first, for your own learning and productivity. Once you experience what's possible, you'll naturally see opportunities across your business.

Remember: don't think of AI as a tool. Think of it as your new three-person team. Start putting them to work.

Getting Started Tomorrow Morning

If you’re committed to fostering a high-performance environment, consider [joining the Growth Faculty](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/?campaign_id=701RG000006BNNhYAO&promo=BlogGF). 

Our [membership](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/?campaign_id=701RG000006BNNhYAO&promo=BlogGF) offers access to the world's brightest thinkers plus replays, resources and insights to help you lead with clarity and purpose.

You Just Hired Three New Team Members (At $20 p.m.)

Treat AI as a person says Dawid Naude, Founder and CEO of Pathfinder

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

You Just Hired Three New Team Members (At $20 p.m.)

Treat AI as a person says Dawid Naude, Founder and CEO of Pathfinder

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired