I keep having the same conversation with founders. They want to discuss AI adoption strategy. I ask them why they think they need AI.

The silence that follows tells me everything.

Most Series A companies don’t need AI. They think they do because investors are asking about it, because competitors are claiming AI features, because it feels like falling behind not to have an AI strategy.

But need and want are different things. And premature AI adoption is expensive in ways that aren’t obvious until the damage is done.