Artificial intelligence has officially moved beyond the “interesting experiment” phase and entered the “adapt or become irrelevant” phase for businesses everywhere.

In this Inventive Expert episode, Kristie Jones joins Devin Miller for a deep discussion about one of the most important business shifts happening today: the difference between AI-native companies and AI-enabled companies — and why that distinction suddenly matters so much to investors, founders, executives, and growing businesses.

For years, startups chased growth at all costs. Venture capital firms rewarded scale, user acquisition, and aggressive expansion. Profitability was often treated like a “future problem.” But AI is changing those rules quickly.

Kristie explains that venture capital firms are now heavily prioritizing AI-native companies — businesses that were built from the ground up with artificial intelligence embedded into their core operations and products. These companies aren’t simply adding AI features later. They’re building entire workflows, customer experiences, and systems around AI from day one.

That shift is creating serious pressure on traditional SaaS companies and businesses that were founded before the AI explosion.

The conversation explores how many companies are now entering what Kristie calls “freeze mode.” Leaders understand AI matters, but they hesitate because they fear choosing the wrong platform, investing in tools that may become obsolete quickly, or implementing workflows that need constant iteration.

And honestly, that fear is understandable.

The AI landscape changes almost weekly. One month everyone swears by one platform, and the next month another tool suddenly dominates conversations in mastermind groups, webinars, and boardrooms.

But waiting may be the bigger risk.

Kristie argues that businesses cannot afford to stand still while competitors experiment and improve. Companies need to start somewhere — even if the process is imperfect.

That means:

• testing tools,
• creating workflows,
• automating repetitive tasks,
• and learning through iteration.

One of the most interesting parts of the episode focuses on how AI integration doesn’t only apply to technology companies.

Devin raises an important point many business owners still believe:“What if my business isn’t really built for AI?”

Kristie pushes back hard against that assumption.

Even service businesses like plumbers, electricians, contractors, and local repair companies can leverage AI effectively.

She shares a real-world example involving an electrician appointment reminder system. Instead of receiving a simple automated text, she interacted with what felt like a conversational AI agent capable of scheduling follow-ups and escalating issues to a live person when necessary.

That’s where the real opportunity may exist.

Not replacing all humans.

Not building fully robotic businesses.

But blending automation with human escalation.

Customers still value empathy, trust, and flexibility. Nobody wants to argue with a chatbot while dealing with a flooded basement or urgent business issue. But customers also appreciate efficiency, responsiveness, and fast communication.

The businesses winning with AI are increasingly those that combine:

• automation,
• operational efficiency,
• and strong human interaction

The conversation also dives deeply into hiring and leadership in the AI era.

Kristie explains that companies are asking the wrong questions during hiring interviews.

Instead of simply asking:“What AI tools do you know?”

Leaders should focus on:“How do you think critically while using AI?”

That distinction matters because AI still makes mistakes.

It hallucinates.It misinterprets instructions.It confidently gives incorrect information.

And importantly, AI doesn’t necessarily mean eliminating people.

In many cases, it means freeing people from repetitive work so they can focus on higher-value contributions.

To chat about this one-on-one, grab a free consult at strategymeeting.com