Valentin Vasilevsky is a co-founder of the Business Booster accelerator, which has been helping owners to systematize and scale their companies for many years. Valentin has assisted numerous companies in implementing a business operating system into their organizational structures, enabling them to manage and scale their businesses.
- The total annual turnover of client companies exceeds $3 billion.
- Over 7200 companies from 83 countries have implemented elements of the business operating system.
- He is an author of publications in business magazines on management, business efficiency, AI, and marketing. His PhD in engineering and experience in developing complex systems allows him to approach business management as an engineering challenge.
The longer I'm in business, the more my conviction is reinforced that one of the key factors for success is the ability to adapt to changes and continually integrate new tools into work. I consider AI to be one of the most important breakthroughs for entrepreneurs, which can greatly simplify company management and optimize many processes. With its help, we have already created an infinitely scalable English and Chinese content factory, conducted rebranding, set up a chatbot for onboarding, and continue to test various services. In this material, I will share my observations regarding neural networks and answer the main question of whether artificial intelligence can replace a human.
How is AI set to shake up the world of business? Are managers at risk of losing their jobs?
I do not believe that managers have any chance of losing their jobs due to the advent of AI in the business world. Generative networks and tools based on AI or utilizing AI approaches significantly enhance a manager's efficiency. A manager's job is fairly simple and understandable.
A manager needs to construct their department or company. They must set the right structure and create interactions. Does AI help in this? Yes, because managers deal with job descriptions, documents, and information searches. Artificial intelligence is very helpful in all these areas.
It's also important to convey ideas to employees, make presentations, and so on. AI is excellent in assisting with this. If a manager has ideas, AI helps unfold these presentations. From my experience, artificial intelligence reduces time expenditure by four times.
A manager must issue orders, control plans, and engage in project management. AI helps consolidate information for a specific request and make selections—this also saves time. A lot of a manager's time goes into coordinating with employees, where various issues are considered and discussed.
AI also assists in this—it can keep protocols, highlight key ideas, take notes, and so on. Nowadays, tools are emerging that provide much additional information. I think soon, there will be a tool that can analyze metrics and suggest what to focus on. All these tools are continually evolving.
Undoubtedly, in terms of labor time costs, AI significantly unburdens a manager. However, it cannot do the main job of a manager, which involves forming a team, maintaining motivation, and creating a focus on results.
What is the key to success in the age of AI? How to stay ahead of the game?
A manager's job also includes creating the future and setting goals—something AI cannot do. Interestingly, if a manager is not competent enough, AI won't be of much help. Unfortunately, sometimes, we deal with managers who are good experts but lack managerial tools. They can't plan, define metrics, or coordinate properly.
This applies not only to managers but to the entire modern business world. The more competent you are in using your professional tools, the more benefit you can derive from using various AI-powered tools. There's a growing trend: the most competent and skilled will become even more productive.
AI is a revolution. As powerful and effective as tools may be, the human remains the weakest link. Therefore, people are slow to master tools. I see this in our company: to get employees to use new tools, they need to be trained and encouraged to practice them. Only after some time do they start to see the benefits.
Less qualified individuals will have far fewer chances of getting a good job and competing with more productive ones. The primary focus should be on enhancing competency in one's field. However, if you are a small or medium business owner, you must clearly understand what your job entails. This requires constant learning.
Are you just testing tools based on AI, or do you have your own projects related to this?
We have a project for an AI business consultant in the works. Just like a live consultant, it has a specific area of expertise. It will answer questions based on the data we collected for many years consulting hundreds of companies all over the world. It can provide a quality response to a question if it pertains to our area of expertise:
- business management;
- owner's responsibilities;
- company development;
- Business process optimization;
- and so on.
Over the past years, we have hired and trained dozens of business and management experts to help our clients figure out how to improve their business performance. Our AI consultant will have a big advantage because it doesn't sleep, doesn't eat, and is available 24/7. However, it is crucial to train this AI, not to try to answer questions outside its competence. But that's a task for our team of engineers working on it.
I believe that the built-in AI on our Business Booster Platform will free managers from having to keep track of a thousand details. It will liberate a manager's attention, allowing them to fully dedicate themselves to areas where they are truly needed as humans.
And by the way, we're not going to lay off any of our business experts and consultants. Now, instead of working with clients, they will work on improving our business consultant AI.
Will this service help managers take the focus off routine tasks and focus on leadership and motivation?
Leadership and motivation consist largely of routine tasks. Leadership is formed when you set tasks and achieve their completion. It doesn't just happen by itself. The same goes for motivation. It arises when you communicate with employees, clarify goals, thank them for a job well done, and help them overcome difficulties.
Motivation arises when a person becomes more professional and believes in themselves. This process consists of a thousand little things and is part of a manager's job. Another task for the manager is to ensure that employees are not overloaded. One of the main reasons for motivation decline is employee overload.
If someone is overloaded, they become a dangerous link that halts other processes in the company. An AI-powered platform allows you to monitor this. No matter how smart a manager is, it's quite laborious to constantly keep track of subordinates' workloads and the dynamics of changes in their results. AI can perform this function well. It can set indicators and show what a manager needs to pay attention to.
It's like with a regular kitchen stove: you try to cook something, but you don't have a thermometer. You have to keep an eye on the temperature yourself. When you have a thermometer, you know it will signal at the right moment. The same goes for work—various tools free up attention and provide space for creativity.
I believe that the built-in AI on our platform will free managers from having to keep track of a thousand details. It will liberate a manager's attention, allowing them to fully dedicate themselves to areas where they are truly needed as humans.
