AI Operating System
20,000 operators strong...
At the Dinner Table..
Last week in a quiet ramen bar in Berkeley, three of us sat down: Chris, who’s building AI infrastructure for nonprofits; Jeff, a documentarian unafraid of uncomfortable systems; and me, notebook in hand, hungry for clarity.
What started as a lunch turned into a 90-minute teardown of one question:
Where does AI actually create and capture value today?
What’s Real AI?
When It Clears the Bottleneck…
Over lunch, we kept circling one theme:
The real value of AI shows up where the friction is most painful.
Whether it’s intake forms, grant workflows, or internal triage, the biggest wins aren’t glamorous—they’re buried in operational bottlenecks.
The takeaway:
Remove the friction; don't just add the tech.
Ask: Where are we leaking time or trust, and why?
Then, deploy narrow tools to patch the hole, rather than reinventing the system.
The Stack Is Still Human
one idea stood out:
AI can accelerate workflows, but it can’t assign meaning.
Deciding what matters is still a profoundly human job.
The insight:
Focus on the problem, not another tool.
AI for Ops, Not Magic…
Engineers didn’t build the most successful use cases—they were built by operators who deeply understood the process.
We’re seeing a pattern:
Map the workflow
Reduce steps
Monitor rigorously
Battle tested….
In 2025, “AI deployment” will look more like ops consulting than software dev.
Check out my upcoming AI in Recruiting Show with Joel Lalgee this Thursday, May 22!
Signals to AI Insights today…
1. AI Fluency Is the New Floor
Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman didn’t mince words: if you're not using AI tools in your workflow, you're already behind.
2. India Bets Big on Ethical AI
Symbiosis International University just launched the Symbiosis Artificial Intelligence Institute (SAII) in Pune.
3. AI Agents Learn to Play (Social) Nice
In a recent study, groups of large language model agents began to develop human-like social behaviors—spontaneously..
4. The AI Hiring Freeze Begins
Microsoft cut 6,000 roles—mostly in software and AI—despite booming demand. Alphabet and others now say AI writes over 30% of their code.
“Engineers are the first to feel the impact. They won’t be the last.” — Molly Kinder, researcher at Brookings Institution
Tactics You Can Use This Week
1. Shadow Audit Your Team’s Week
Ask every team lead: What % of your week is “shallow ops”?
2. Prototype Judgment Loops
Use GPT to simulate internal debates: hiring decisions, product bets, customer objections.
Prompt: “Argue against this idea like a skeptical CFO.” The goal isn’t consensus—it’s clarity.
3. Run a Silent Sprint
Block 3 hours. No email. One hairy problem.
Ramen Table Open: Join Us
We left that bar with more clarity than we arrived—and a shared commitment to keep showing up.
Each month, we’ll be back at that same table until all 14 seats are filled with people building, funding, and stewarding real AI work.
If you’re in the Bay Area and serious about deploying AI with integrity and precision, reply “RAMEN” to join the next session.
Until next time,
— M. Sawyerr
Founder & CEO, EQ Community
P.S. Our new corporate site is live! Discover how EQ is setting a new standard in recruitment—designed for speed, precision, and zero admin.
Reach out to me here directly for 15mins
I’m live next month in Atlanta at the Staffing & Talent Solutions US Conference!
