A premium AI subscription costs almost nothing compared to what you're already paying that engineer

The first reaction most leaders have to AI is to plan. Figure out a strategy first, then act. The problem is that the tools and the landscape are changing so fast that by the time you've decided on an approach, it's already outdated.

Companies have meetings about AI. They discuss how they could leverage it, where it fits in the roadmap, and the risks. But they're not actually using it. When an engineer hits the limit of their Claude subscription and asks for the premium plan, the decision stalls. Meanwhile, the engineer loses momentum and moves on.

The companies pulling ahead right now aren't necessarily the big ones with dedicated AI teams. They're the ones where someone can experiment on Monday morning without hesitation. Direct access to real customer problems, and the ability to ship something and learn from it the same week.

Direction matters, but it should come from what you learn by shipping, not from a slide deck.

Stop treating AI adoption as a strategy discussion. Give your engineers the tools, and let them experiment. The productivity gains and the lessons learned will far outweigh the subscription fees.