Leadership Lessons for an AI-Driven World

Kate Mayeski
Jun 16
4 min read

Writer: Kate Mayeski

June 16, 2025 · 6 min read

Transparency Note: This article combines insights from Geoffrey Hinton’s “Diary of a CEO” conversation, Tom Bilyeu’s AI masterclass, and my own work with mission-driven founders. No sponsorships—just honest advice on moving fast, staying safe, and preserving our humanity in an AI-powered age.

Who Are Tom Bilyeu and Geoffrey Hinton?

Tom Bilyeu co-founded Quest Nutrition (a billion-dollar exit) and now hosts Impact Theory, where he breaks down how entrepreneurs can go from idea to impact...FAST.

He’s built a 10M+ community by championing practical, action-first strategies.

Geoffrey Hinton is known as the “Godfather of AI.” A cognitive psychologist and computer scientist, his 50-year push for neural networks won him the 2018 Turing Award. His work at the University of Toronto and later at Google Research underpins today’s deep-learning breakthroughs—and his urgent warnings about AI safety are shaping policy worldwide.

Lessons I'm Listening to

As a business coach, I’ve seen AI unlock incredible growth and also amplify tiny mistakes into BIG problems. I lean on Tom’s three-day sprint playbook to help founders launch and learn in record time. I rely on Geoffrey’s caution to remind us that smarter systems don’t guarantee smarter outcomes. Together, their lessons guide my clients to build responsibly, using AI as a tool, not a crutch.

Over the last few years, these two forces have collided:

Unstoppable Acceleration. Using AI, Tom cut his company’s costs by 50% in months—iterating features, marketing tests, and operations at lightning speed.
Existential Caution. Geoffrey left academic life at 65 to join Google because, he says, “I have a son with learning difficulties, and to keep him safe I needed several million dollars—so I sold myself to a big company.” Even after securing that future, he lost two beloved wives—one to ovarian cancer, another to pancreatic cancer. I can’t help but wonder: could AI-driven diagnostics or personalized treatments have rewritten their stories?

In today’s hyper-competitive world, there’s one more tension: regulation. Many founders either ignore new tools or lean so heavily on them that they lose their own judgment.

The SWEET spot? Treat AI like a power drill—indispensable when you know how to use it, but dangerous if you let it drive the project.

1. Validate Before You Build

“Don’t build solutions nobody needs.” – Tom Bilyeu

The fastest way to burn months and money is solving a phantom problem. Instead:

Scan niche forums & reviews. What pain keeps people up at night?
Spot jury-rigged fixes. DIY “hacks” point to urgent frustrations.
Estimate demand. How many share this pain? What will they pay?
Map roadblocks. Licensing, compliance, supply-chain issues—identify them early.

When prospects say, “Yes, this would solve my problem,” you’ve found your launch pad.

2. Assemble Your AI “Dream Team”

“Treat your tools like trusted partners.” – Tom Bilyeu

AI excels at specialized tasks. Build your core team (human or AI) around five roles:

Insight Scout: Competitive analysis, pricing benchmarks, growth signals
Design Lead: Wireframes, prototypes, user flows
Storyteller: Brand voice, messaging pillars, narrative arcs
Growth Captain: Acquisition channels, CAC vs LTV, launch calendar
Onboarding Host: Onboarding sequences, FAQs, first-user handholding

Each role iterates on your direction—so you retain control, insight, and accountability.

3. Launch Fast, Learn Faster

“Courage is moving forward even when you’re nervous.” – Tom Bilyeu

Perfection KILLS momentum. Commit to a three-day MVP sprint:

Day 1: Define the problem and your unique solution.
Day 2: Build the simplest version that delivers real value.
Day 3: Release to a test group, gather feedback, pivot.

By Friday, you’ll know whether to double down or iterate again.

4. Regulation and the Human Edge

Regulators struggle to keep pace with AI’s breakneck evolution—a gap that can paralyze founders. True leadership means:

Staying informed. Track data-privacy rules, algorithmic-transparency guidelines, medical-device approvals or financial-compliance mandates.
Embedding guardrails. Human checkpoints at every critical decision—never let AI make irreversible calls alone.
Showcasing emotional intelligence. In regulated industries, trust is your greatest currency. Highlight empathy, ethics, creativity.

When rules shift overnight, your adaptability and human oversight will keep you out of the headlines.

Your Secret Weapon: Human Connection

“We're all selling the same $h!t in different packaging. The only thing that will set us apart is our brand.” – Kate Mayeski (yes, yours truly)

No algorithm can replicate genuine rapport. Your story—why you care, the legacy you envision, the values you champion—is your unassailable moat.

Be authentic. Share wins and stumbles. Vulnerability builds trust.
Stay accountable. Own missteps and demonstrate fixes.
Keep learning. Once you stop asking questions, you start falling behind.

Next Steps for Founders

Today: Spend 20 minutes reading customer forums or reviews—identify “ouch” moments.
Tomorrow: Sketch your five-role lineup; assign the first task to each.
By Friday: Launch your bare-bones MVP to a small group; ask, “How was that?”
Ongoing: Host weekly check-ins to flag risks, share wins, and iterate.

Ready to Build Boldly—and Responsibly?

I’m Kate Mayeski, founder of Maverick May Solutions. I help mission-driven teams move fast without losing heart, balancing bold action with the human touch.

Let’s connect: kate@mavmay.com

Let’s translate your vision into a lean, confident launch—complete with real-world validation, clear messaging, and the trust that turns first customers into lifelong advocates.