What LinkedIn's Co-Founder Gets Wrong About AI for Small Businesses

I nearly choked on my morning coffee reading Reid Hoffman's latest Guardian interview. The LinkedIn co-founder was waxing lyrical about AI giving us "cognitive superpowers" and how we should all be "AI-amplifying ourselves."

Don't get me wrong - some of his points are spot on. But there's a massive blind spot in his thinking that reveals just how disconnected Silicon Valley billionaires are from the reality of running a small business.

Let me translate his theory into language that actually makes sense for people like us.

Hoffman calls this the "cognitive Industrial Revolution" and predicts it'll be transformative but turbulent. He's not wrong, but his timeline is completely off for small businesses.

While he's talking about society-wide transformation over decades, we need practical solutions that work next Tuesday. When you've got 15 customer emails waiting, inventory decisions to make, and a marketing campaign to launch, philosophical discussions about "superagency" aren't particularly helpful.

The real revolution for SMEs isn't some grand societal shift - it's the ability to handle routine tasks efficiently so we can focus on actually growing our businesses.

Hoffman's advice to "AI-amplify yourself" sounds impressive until you try to implement it with a to-do list longer than your arm and a budget that doesn't stretch to enterprise AI solutions.

Here's what AI amplification actually looks like in our business:

Writing Product Descriptions: Instead of spending 2 hours crafting copy for new arrivals, I give ChatGPT the key features and brand voice guidelines. First draft done in 10 minutes, polished version ready in 30.

Customer Service: Our AI handles routine inquiries instantly rather than customers waiting for me to get through my email backlog. Not because I want "cognitive superpowers," but because I want to sleep at night.

Data Analysis: AI turns our sales figures into insights I can actually use, rather than me staring at spreadsheets trying to spot patterns while my dinner gets cold.

This isn't revolutionary - it's just sensible business efficiency.

Hoffman talks about AI as a co-pilot, and this is where he gets it right. The key insight isn't that AI will replace us (it won't), but that it handles the routine navigation while we focus on where we're actually going.

In our family business, this has been transformative. Dad's 40 years of retail instinct combined with AI's ability to process data and handle repetitive tasks? That's a powerful combination.

But here's what Hoffman misses: for small businesses, the co-pilot needs to be simple to operate. We don't have IT departments or AI specialists. We need tools that work straight out of the box and don't require a computer science degree to implement.

When Hoffman discusses jobs being "transformed rather than lost," he's speaking from the perspective of someone who can afford transition periods and retraining programs.

For small business owners, the question is different: will AI help me do my job better, or will it create more complexity I don't have time to manage?

In our experience, AI eliminates tasks rather than jobs. I'm still making the strategic decisions, building relationships with suppliers, and handling complex customer issues. But I'm not spending hours on routine administrative work anymore.

That's not job transformation - that's job improvement.

Hoffman dismisses AI critics as "gloomers," suggesting their concerns about risks and harms aren't helpful. That's easy to say when you're worth billions and can afford to experiment with cutting-edge technology.

For small businesses, healthy skepticism isn't gloomy - it's essential risk management. We can't afford to implement systems that might fail spectacularly or damage customer relationships.

My approach? Test everything on low-risk internal processes first. If AI can't handle routine data analysis without supervision, it's not ready for customer-facing applications.

Strip away the Silicon Valley jargon, and Hoffman's core message is solid: start using AI tools now, or risk being left behind by competitors who do.

But here's the practical translation:

Start Small: Pick one repetitive task that's eating your time. Use AI to handle the first draft or initial processing.

Measure Impact: Track actual time saved or revenue generated, not theoretical "cognitive amplification."

Stay Human-Centric: Use AI to free up your time for the high-value work only humans can do - strategy, relationship building, creative problem-solving.

Ignore the Hype: You don't need "superagency" or "cognitive superpowers." You just need efficient systems that help you run your business better.

What's completely absent from Hoffman's analysis is how small businesses actually implement these tools successfully.

He mentions OpenAI's "iterative deployment" approach - testing incremental versions and adjusting based on feedback. That's exactly right, but he doesn't explain what that looks like for a business with limited resources and no technical team.

Here's our version:

Despite my criticism, Hoffman nails several key points:

AI as Intelligence Amplifier: This is exactly right. AI doesn't replace intelligence; it extends it.

The Competitive Advantage: Businesses using AI effectively will outperform those that don't. We're already seeing this in our sector.

The Learning Mindset: His advice to "start using AI deeply" is sound, even if his examples are aimed at Fortune 500 companies.

Hoffman's vision of AI transformation is probably accurate in the long term. But for small business owners, the transformation is already happening in small, practical ways that add up to significant competitive advantages.

You don't need to wait for the "cognitive Industrial Revolution" to benefit from AI. You just need to start solving your actual business problems with tools that exist today.

The superpowers aren't coming from some grand technological breakthrough - they're coming from having systems that work efficiently so you can focus on growing your business instead of drowning in it.

That's revolutionary enough for me.

What's your biggest hesitation about implementing AI in your business? Hit reply and let me know - real concerns from real business owners often highlight the practical implementation challenges that the experts miss.

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