I almost gave up on the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing entirely. Then something clicked that changed my whole approach.
Let's get real about AI-assisted writing. It's not about fancy tools or big budgets. I’m breaking down the fundamental principles that took me from a struggling creator to a recognized expert in the field.
The Reality Nobody Talks About
Most people approach the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing with assumptions that made sense five years ago. The world has moved on. When I look at my portfolio companies, the ones that succeed are doing something fundamentally different.
The first thing to understand is that most founders overthink this and underspend on execution. I've seen this play out across dozens of companies. The pattern is unmistakable.
At RemoteTeam, we learned this the hard way. We spent months going down the wrong path before realizing that the market doesn't care about your roadmap. Once we made the switch, everything changed.
What I've Learned From 133 Companies
After investing in 200+ startups and running two companies to successful exits, I've developed a pretty clear picture of what works with the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing.
The biggest misconception is that you need to customer feedback is the only metric that matters. That's backwards. The companies that win are the ones that most founders overthink this and underspend on execution.
I remember sitting with the Anthropic team early on and discussing how they thought about the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing. Their approach was counterintuitive but brilliant.
The Framework That Actually Works
I'm going to share the exact framework I use when evaluating the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.
Step 1: the best solutions are often the simplest ones This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.
Step 2: you should focus on one thing and do it exceptionally well Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.
Step 3: Iterate relentlessly Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies in my portfolio that nail the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing are the ones that treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
The Numbers Don't Lie
I've tracked the performance of companies in my portfolio that take the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing seriously versus those that don't. The difference is stark.
Companies that invest early in the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing see, on average, 2-3x better outcomes within 18 months. That's not a small edge. That's the difference between raising your next round and running out of runway.
One of my portfolio companies went from struggling to profitable in under a year after they finally got serious about this. The founder told me later that they wished they'd started sooner.
This connects to broader themes around AI writing, AI filmmaking, AI animation that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
The Bottom Line
Look, the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing isn't rocket science. But it does require intentionality, consistency, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: start now, start small, and iterate. The founders who win at the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing aren't the ones with the best strategy on paper. They're the ones who execute, learn, and adapt faster than everyone else.
I've been doing this for over a decade. The patterns are clear. The companies that take the real reason your ai-assisted writing efforts are failing seriously outperform the ones that don't. Every single time.
If you're working on something interesting in this space, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.
What's the most common pushback you get on this?
People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.
What experience informs this perspective?
This perspective comes from over a decade of building companies in Silicon Valley, two successful exits (RemoteTeam to Gusto, MovieLaLa to Gfycat), and investing in 200+ startups including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Scale AI. I write about what I've lived.