Real People, Real Companies, Real Value — Leading Through the AI Bubble
Early this week at Stanford, I attended a seminar on AI innovation across Silicon Valley and Asia. The slides were full of numbers — funding volumes, patent counts, sovereign AI strategies — but my biggest takeaway was not about data.
It was about mindset.
As a coach, I see founders and investors swept into two emotional extremes right now:
FOMO-driven overreaction: “We must have an AI product yesterday.”
Paralysis: “It’s all hype. We’ll wait it out.”
Both extremes are dangerous. What leaders need is disciplined curiosity — the ability to explore AI’s potential without letting fear or hype hijack strategic thinking.
Zoom Out: The Bubble Is Real — But It’s Not a Reason to Panic
The best investors are playing the “Google in 1999” strategy — they know most bets won’t work, but they only need one winner.
As a founder, you don’t need to be in every AI race. You need to be in the right one for your mission.
Coaching Reflection:
What problem are you uniquely positioned to solve?
How could AI make you 10x more effective — not just 10% trendier?
What will still be valuable in your business 5–10 years from now, even if this hype wave crashes?
Asia’s AI Surge: Look Beyond Your Backyard
One of the most sobering charts showed China now holds 69.7% of all global AI patents, with a stated goal to lead AI globally by 2030.
This is not just a tech race — it’s a geopolitical and talent race.
Coaching Reflection:
Where are you hiring from?
Where is your next customer coming from?
Are you building with a global mindset — or still thinking too locally?
Upgrade Your Decision-Making Muscles
Bubbles are emotional environments. People make reactive choices: over-hiring, over-spending, chasing every press release.
As a coach, I guide leaders to practice structured reflection:
Pause before reacting: What’s real data vs. hype?
Test assumptions: Does this AI initiative truly strengthen your core business?
Scenario-plan: What survives if the bubble bursts in 12 months?
Leadership Is the Differentiator
The seminar’s data was clear: AI innovation is accelerating globally. But your job as a leader is not to be first — it’s to be right.
Under the AI era, real people do real things.
The companies that thrive in the next decade will be those that combine:
Courage to experiment boldly, and
Clarity to stay anchored to purpose and value creation.
Coaching Checklist for Founders in the AI Era
Audit your AI bets: Which projects serve your mission, and which are just noise?
Balance your portfolio: Pair efficiency wins with a few high-upside experiments.
Invest in people, not just tools: AI multiplies human talent — it doesn’t replace it.
Anchor every move in purpose: Does this AI investment align with your “why”?
Closing Thought
AI multiplies both wisdom and recklessness. The choice is yours.
Are you building an AI strategy that multiplies your company’s purpose — or just your anxiety?