{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/69f3e0f28beeba531023e35c/6a1dba35c1105f0d11018fa8?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Week of June 1 2026","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/69f3e0f28beeba531023e35c/1780333099355-7ed8cf0c-30ac-4e40-9794-351a91a1c5b7.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>$900 billion is pouring <em>into</em> AI at the top — meanwhile 60% of the companies buying it can't point to a single dollar it made them. That's the gap this episode lives in. Capability is everywhere and it's cheap; the edge in 2026 isn't <em>having</em> AI, it's having AI you can <em>prove</em>. This week we put a number on it — yours.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>The ROI reckoning</strong> — 80% of companies use AI, ~60% report zero financial impact. The ones who measure it earn about <strong>$1.49 per $1</strong> — but fewer than 1% see a big return. The fix isn't more AI. It's naming the number <em>before</em> you buy.</li><li><strong>Gartner's warning + \"agent washing\"</strong> — Over <strong>40% of agentic AI projects</strong> get canceled by 2027, and of the thousands of \"AI agent\" vendors out there, only ~130 are the real thing. The rest is last year's software in a new hoodie. One question kills the pitch.</li><li><strong>The good news</strong> — <strong>91% of SMBs</strong> using AI say it's growing revenue, with $500–$2,000/month in savings. The split isn't big-vs-small. It's <em>measured</em> vs. <em>vibes</em>.</li><li><strong>Tool Spotlight: Rosie</strong> — the AI phone receptionist for owners in the field. The least-fakeable ROI there is: count the jobs it booked that you'd have missed. Flat, unlimited-minutes pricing, 7-day free trial.</li><li><strong>The Operator's Move: The One-Number Test</strong> — 15 minutes to put one dollar figure on one AI tool you already pay for. In 30 days you'll know whether to double down or cancel.</li><li><br></li></ul><h2>🔗 Show Notes &amp; Sources</h2><p><strong>The ROI reckoning</strong></p><ul><li>Snowflake — The Radical ROI of Generative AI (~$1.49 per $1): <a href=\"https://www.snowflake.com/en/lp/radical-roi-generative-ai/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.snowflake.com/en/lp/radical-roi-generative-ai/</a></li><li>Master of Code — Why Only ~5% of Enterprises See Real Returns in 2026: <a href=\"https://masterofcode.com/blog/ai-roi\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://masterofcode.com/blog/ai-roi</a></li><li>elvex — Measuring AI ROI in 2026 (29% can measure confidently; 79% see productivity gains): <a href=\"https://www.elvex.com/blog/ai-roi-artificial-intelligence-return-on-investment\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.elvex.com/blog/ai-roi-artificial-intelligence-return-on-investment</a></li><li>HBR — 7 Factors That Drive Returns on AI Investments: <a href=\"https://hbr.org/2026/03/7-factors-that-drive-returns-on-ai-investments-according-to-a-new-survey\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://hbr.org/2026/03/7-factors-that-drive-returns-on-ai-investments-according-to-a-new-survey</a></li></ul><p><strong>Gartner + agent washing</strong></p><ul><li>Gartner — Over 40% of Agentic AI Projects Canceled by 2027 / \"agent washing\": <a href=\"https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-06-25-gartner-predicts-over-40-percent-of-agentic-ai-projects-will-be-canceled-by-end-of-2027\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025-06-25-gartner-predicts-over-40-percent-of-agentic-ai-projects-will-be-canceled-by-end-of-2027</a></li><li>Search Engine Land coverage: <a href=\"https://searchengineland.com/gartner-40-of-agentic-ai-projects-will-fail-making-humans-indispensable-474695\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://searchengineland.com/gartner-40-of-agentic-ai-projects-will-fail-making-humans-indispensable-474695</a></li></ul><p><strong>The SMBs who are winning</strong></p><ul><li>Salesforce / SMB AI statistics 2026 (91% revenue boost): <a href=\"https://adai.news/resources/statistics/small-business-ai-statistics-2026/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://adai.news/resources/statistics/small-business-ai-statistics-2026/</a></li><li>Thryv survey ($500–$2,000/mo savings; 58% save 20+ hrs/mo): <a href=\"https://colorwhistle.com/artificial-intelligence-statistics-for-small-business/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://colorwhistle.com/artificial-intelligence-statistics-for-small-business/</a></li><li>Intuit QuickBooks — 2026 AI Impact Report: <a href=\"https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/ai-impact-report/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/ai-impact-report/</a></li></ul><p><strong>Cold-open context (money going in)</strong></p><ul><li>AI News Today, May 25, 2026 (Anthropic ~$900B round; OpenAI S-1; Gemini 3.5 Flash): <a href=\"https://www.buildfastwithai.com/blogs/ai-news-today-may-25-2026\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.buildfastwithai.com/blogs/ai-news-today-may-25-2026</a></li></ul><p><strong>Tool Spotlight — Rosie</strong></p><ul><li>Rosie for HVAC: <a href=\"https://heyrosie.com/industries/hvac\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://heyrosie.com/industries/hvac</a></li><li>Rosie for Home Services: <a href=\"https://heyrosie.com/industries/home-services\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://heyrosie.com/industries/home-services</a></li><li>Allo — AI Call Answering for HVAC: 6 Services Compared (2026): <a href=\"https://www.withallo.com/blog/ai-phone-answering-services-for-hvac\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.withallo.com/blog/ai-phone-answering-services-for-hvac</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Topics: AI ROI, measuring AI, agentic AI, agent washing, Gartner, small business AI, AI phone receptionist, Rosie, AI for HVAC, AI for trades, automation, productivity vs profit, AI strategy for SMBs.</em></p><p><br></p><p><em>Hosted by Shaun Gehring — The AI Operator. AI strategy for people who actually run the business.</em></p>","author_name":"Shaun Gehring"}