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Like many people, I tried ChatGPT shortly after it was released. After marveling at its ability to write silly poems, I quickly moved on. The output was bland, annoying, and, in my opinion, useless.
Fast forward a few years, and AI is now deeply embedded in my workflows as a solopreneur.
The spectrum for AI usage is wide. Some solopreneurs are building entire apps with it. Others actively avoid it. Neither is wrong—but your default approach toward AI shapes how you think about tools, clients, and where you spend your time.
The technology isn’t going away. Knowing your approach is the first step to making intentional decisions about AI in your business.
The builder
You hear about new model capabilities and instantly want to check them out. You’ve tested dozens of AI tools, and you see AI as a competitive edge worth chasing. You’ve even vibe coded your own websites and tools. The risk here is shiny-object syndrome—spending more time experimenting with AI than doing the work AI is supposed to help with. Everything works “sort of well” instead of a few things working really well, and you’re not really saving any time.
Tip: Before adding a new AI tool, ask yourself whether it’s actually saving time or just creating a different kind of work. If you can’t point to a specific task it replaced, it might not be worth the effort.
The curious
You’re open to AI but not sure where to start. You’ve seen other solopreneurs posting about what they’re doing with AI, and you feel a little behind. Maybe you’ve tried ChatGPT for a few things—drafting an email, brainstorming ideas—but nothing has “stuck.” The risk is decision paralysis. There are so many options that nothing gets adopted, or you try something that doesn’t match your actual work and conclude that AI “doesn’t work” for you.
Tip: Pick one repeatable task that takes you 30 minutes or more each week and try using AI for just that task. Refine it until you see good results. A single, concrete use case can help you build confidence, rather than trying to overhaul all of your workflows at once.
The skeptic
You’ve tried AI and found the output mediocre. You might have concerns about quality, hallucinations, or that AI simply doesn’t live up to the hype. But the risk is dismissing the entire category based on a few bad experiences. AI tools change fast. What produced clunky, unusable output six months ago might work differently now.
Tip: Separate the tool from the category. Set a calendar reminder to revisit once a quarter and dig a little deeper into the tools that are currently available. You might find that new capabilities will change your perspective, or not. But either way, you’re making an informed decision.
The resistant
You’re opposed to AI on principle. Maybe you see it as a threat to your craft, your industry, or your values. These are real concerns. But AI is already embedded in tools most solopreneurs use—spell-check, search algorithms, email filtering—even if it’s not labeled as such. Your biggest risks are that clients, platforms, or your market keep shifting around you.
Tip: You don’t have to use AI to generate your work. But invest time in understanding how it’s affecting your industry and your clients’ expectations. Some clients will specifically seek you out because you don’t use AI—and that can be a deliberate business decision.
Your ‘AI type’ may shift over time
Not everyone wants to become an AI power user. But knowing your approach gives you a framework for deciding where AI fits in your business—and where it doesn’t. You can set guardrails, know what to try, and prepare yourself for conversations with clients.
Your approach may even change over time. That’s also fine. I moved from “skeptic” to “builder” very gradually, with a long time spent at “curious.” What matters is that you’re making conscious choices at each stage.
Not long ago, a career was something you built. Today, it increasingly feels like something you package. Find your niche. Own your lane. Build an audience. Create content. Become discoverable. Stay visible. Stay relevant.
Somewhere between LinkedIn…
