Newsletter: Why Most People Still Aren’t Using AI 🤖 ; If it’s Hard to Justify, It’s Hard to Sell 📊 ; More Content Won’t Fix Your Problem 📣
Last week, when I was teaching in the New Strategies Program at Georgetown University,we had a wonderful presentation on AI, but one thing was clear: most people don't really get AI, let alone use it effectively.
Here are some of the comments on the presentation:
"It was really informative, but AI is not something we plan to investigate in the near future."
"The whole AI stuff is way out of my field of competence."
"I have no idea how to get started using AI."
"We're still in the nascent phase of adopting AI."
People are curious, but they're not using AI effectively or consistently. I recently read an article that compared learning AI to training for your first 5K. If you’re new to running, you don’t wake up one day and sprint 3.1 miles. You build up to it. You start by walking, then short runs, then a little more each time.
Our group photo was taken shortly after the AI session. My face: "We got some work to do."
That’s exactly how AI works.
In April, I told you I’ve been using AI to help write this newsletter. And what I’ve learned is this: it’s not about one big breakthrough. It’s about small, daily use.
Where most people get stuck is they treat AI like a special occasion. Kind of like they did with Facebook 15 years ago. "It's four o'clock. Time for me to post on Facebook."
That doesn't work.
The people getting the most out of AI are using it CONSTANTLY.
If you’re trying to “figure out AI,” or just want to start using it consistently, here’s my advice: start using it for personal stuff first.
Using it outside of work feels more private and less risky, right? That's just how I started using it, and when I saw how powerful AI is, I naturally expanded it to my partnership work.
Now, every day when I'm doing anything, I ask: "How can AI help me do this?" That's the goal! In addition to helping me write this newsletter, AI helped me with a bunch of other things this past week.
✅ Diagnosed an infection in one of my trees (it's toast).
✅ Verified a vase in my attic was crystal, not glass.
✅ Saved me a call to the plumber with a $3 toilet fix.
✅ Explained the trickier lines in Emerson's poem "Brahma."
✅ Helped me with the setup of my water garden (no more murky water!).
✅ Looked at my toothbrush and suggested I replace it.
The list goes on and on, and that's exactly what you want.
Because in the end, the advantage won’t go to the people who understand AI the best. It will go to the people who’ve put in the most reps.
And honestly? That’s not that different from partnerships.
You don’t win them with one big pitch. You win them by showing up, refining your approach, and building proof over time.
👉🏻 The same rule applies to AI. Just start using it! Let the reps do the work.
✍️ Partnership Notes
One partnership insight that matters.
📊 If it’s hard to justify, it’s hard to sell.
A Fast Company piece on how executives decide on conference sponsorships highlights something nonprofits often overlook: good ideas aren’t enough—they have to be defensible. Leaders are evaluating audience fit, clear objectives, and measurable results before saying yes. The takeaway for partnership teams: your job isn’t just to pitch a partnership—it’s to make it easy for someone else to justify that decision internally. In a world of competing priorities, the partnerships that win are easy to defend.
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
One move you should steal.
📣 More content won’t fix your problem.
This post makes a simple but important point: most organizations aren’t struggling to create content—they’re struggling to get people to see it. The takeaway for nonprofit marketers: distribution matters more than production. If no one sees your content, it doesn’t matter how good it is. Focus less on creating more and more on getting your best ideas in front of the right audience. Because in a crowded landscape, visibility—not volume—is what drives results.
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
Find your next adventure.
🤝 Business Development Officer, Team Rubicon, Remote
🤝 Director of Individual Giving & Corporate Partnerships, Youth INC, NYC
🤝 Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships, BCRF, NYC
🤝 Director, Corporate Partnerships, Mental Health Coalition, NYC
🧠🍌 Brain Food
One thing that is feeding my thinking.
👋 Be the person AI can’t replace.
This post in The Follow Up explores what makes someone “unreplaceable”—and it’s not just performance. It’s how they operate inside a system. They understand what others need, navigate internal dynamics, and make things easier for everyone involved. In an AI-driven world, that matters more than ever. The takeaway for partnership pros: your value isn’t just in closing deals. It’s about becoming the person people rely on to get them done. The people who win aren’t the most efficient. They’re the hardest to replace.
