AI's strategic value is as a thinking partner.
Recent AI ads on TV present AI as a mere grammar-fixer or writing shortcut - all surface-level stuff. They reduce AI to a glorified autocorrect.
- Apple's ad shows a user rewriting an angry text into a cheerful one.
- Google's ad has a child drafting a sentimental message to a sports hero.
What they don't show is anyone solving a meaningful problem.
The problem with this portrayal is it suggests AI is mostly here to clean up our writing - rather than challenge assumptions, help prioritise, or uncover insights we missed (all the valuable things it can do)
After working with dozens of teams using AI in meaningful ways, and using it extensively myself, I've seen where the value lies. AI is far more capable as a thinking partner for decision-making and problem-solving than most people are aware.
For me it comes down to two distinct modes - and knowing when to switch between them.
Two Modes, Two Mindsets
There's a big difference between how an entrepreneur uses AI and how someone doing admin tasks does.
Are you using AI to follow instructions? Or to help you think?
It depends on your job's "centre of gravity", whether you are repeating a known process or working through something messy and uncertain and in problem-solving or decision-making mode.
1. Process-driven roles focus on efficiency and execution
2. Strategic roles focus on problem-solving and decision-making
How you use AI depends on whether you need it to follow instructions or think alongside you.
Butler Mode: Your Digital Assistant
This is the classic "AI as assistant" mode. You give it a clear task, and it gets it done quickly and accurately.
Think Alfred running Wayne Manor.
You might use Butler Mode to:
- Summarise meeting notes
- Sort 500 emails by urgency
- Turn messy data into formatted reports
Rob, who runs a consulting firm, uses this every day. After client calls, he has AI transcribe the recording, pull out key action points, and format them neatly into a follow-up document.
Previously, Rob spent 90 minutes per call on admin. Now he spends just 5 minutes, gets the same result every time, and reinvests that freed-up time into deeper client engagements and strategic projects.
Butler Mode is for:
Reducing repetitive admin
Ensuring predictable output
Freeing up time for valuable tasks
But if you stop here, you're missing most of AI's value.
Advisor Mode: AI as a Thinking Partner
Instead of telling AI what to do, you invite it into your thought process. It helps you explore ideas, test assumptions, and turn concepts into action.
Think Alfred in the Batcave - actively helping Batman work through tough decisions and solve complex problems.
Here's how I regularly use Advisor Mode:
- Pressure-testing creative ideas:
When evaluating potential book titles, I describe a reader persona (like a 49-year-old independent consultant who's respected but not yet widely known). Then I ask AI to react emotionally: Would this title make him say "Hell Yes," "Meh," or "Ew"? AI helps cut through my biases to identify resonant ideas. - Designing focused, high-impact sprints:
I'll have AI act as a productivity strategist, compressing weeks of work into a focused two-day sprint. Using the 80/20 rule and MVP thinking, AI provides clear phases (define goals, prioritise high-impact tasks, automate low-value work). - Uncovering hidden insights:
One simple but effective prompt I often use is: "What's something important I'm missing here?" AI's outside perspective points out overlooked risks, strategic blind spots, or fresh opportunities, especially useful when I'm too close to the problem.
Advisor Mode helps you:
Tackle complexity and ambiguity
Challenge your assumptions
Generate momentum when you feel stuck
Talk to AI Like a Collaborator
Most people ask AI questions as if they're searching the web. That approach misses the point of Advisor Mode entirely.
Instead, treat AI like a trusted colleague:
- "Find the hidden flaws in my strategy."
- "Act as a startup mentor critiquing this pitch."
- "Here's my reasoning - where's the weak spot?"
Switching Modes
The biggest advantage comes when you learn to move fluidly between these two modes.
Start in Advisor Mode to solve new problems and sharpen your thinking. Then move into Butler Mode to automate the process and scale results.
Leslie, a change management consultant, followed exactly this process. She started with Advisor Mode, working alongside AI to design a new method for engaging resistant leadership teams. They developed positioning, structure, and execution approaches collaboratively. Once the framework was proven with clients, she switched to Butler Mode-automating stakeholder analysis documents and customised communication plans. She reduced project preparation time by 60% while increasing client satisfaction scores from 7.2 to 8.9 out of 10.
That's the cycle:
- Use Advisor Mode to figure things out
- Use Butler Mode to systematise and scale
Where to Begin
Pick a task you regularly face, then ask yourself:
"Am I executing something known or solving something uncertain?"
- Known task? Start with Butler Mode. Map the steps, then automate.
- Unknown problem? Start with Advisor Mode. Talk it through. Ask hard questions.
A year on, I went further and asked my assistant to push back on me directly, in give your AI permission to disagree with you. How far to trust what it hands back is the Verification Dial.