Ask HN: My CEO wants to go hard on AI. What do I do?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Funding pressure and “AI-first” positioning

  • Many see the CEO’s push as driven by investors, not customers: current VC money is heavily skewed toward AI, making an “AI story” de facto table stakes for later rounds.
  • Several commenters argue this means the real “customer” is investors/Wall Street; product decisions will repeatedly be distorted toward whatever narrative raises the next round.
  • Others note this is “normal” for VC-backed, cashflow-negative companies: when runway is at risk, the stakeholder with the cash effectively sets strategy.

Product strategy vs buzzword chasing

  • Commenters distinguish between:
    • Features that actually improve the product,
    • Features that attract customers, and
    • Features that attract funding.
      These often conflict, and AI is mostly in the third bucket right now.
  • Multiple anecdotes compare today’s AI push to past hype cycles (mobile apps everywhere, tablets, blockchain, NFTs, “metaverse”), where over-rotation hurt the core product.
  • Some suggest treating “AI-first” as a research effort: explore where AI could truly disrupt or improve the core value, or confirm there’s no strong fit.

Pragmatic ways to “play the AI game”

  • Common advice:
    • Co-create a roadmap with leadership; often the “new” plan largely matches the old one with AI labels added.
    • Rebrand existing ML/automation as “AI,” emphasize “AI efficiency initiatives,” and pack non-AI work into AI projects.
    • Build minimally harmful AI features (e.g., search, reporting, assistants) that satisfy marketing/investors while preserving focus on real customer needs.
    • Maintain two narratives: bold AI story for investors, careful, value-driven use of AI for engineers and customers.

Debate on AI’s real value and bubble risk

  • Some argue AI is genuinely disruptive and not engaging now risks being outcompeted; “steel-man” that case before resisting.
  • Others think most current AI integrations are shallow, ambiguous, or harmful, and that a funding bubble/overinvestment correction is likely.
  • There’s disagreement whether AI will mainly level up low/medium-skill workers or fundamentally change products.

Personal and career considerations

  • If you trust leadership, help shape a sane AI strategy and upskill.
  • If you see pure hype, weak PMF, or values misalignment, several suggest preparing to leave rather than fight an investor-driven pivot.