SMB operating model for the AI era

There’s a lot of AI hype right now - and most of it is unjustified. At the same time, after speaking with searchers and independent sponsors every day, I think most people are underestimating how much AI will transform the types of businesses they’re acquiring. Not just in automating workflows but in how decisions are made and how businesses are run. In our latest piece “The New Operating Model for SMBs” https://zerovc.substack.com/p/from-gut-instinct-to-data-refineries we argue that: - Small businesses are better positioned than large enterprises to adapt to the AI era - 24/7 real-time data analysis is finally economically viable for small firms - The middle management layer is no longer needed - Over time, the data each business generates becomes its own compounding advantage We’re already seeing this in practice: we’re working with several manufacturing and logistics firms that are turning large volumes of unstructured data into new vertical insights, personalized lead outreach campaigns, and real-time pricing optimization. In some cases, companies have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by fully automating financial, business-analysis, and data-reporting functions that once required entire teams. Curious to hear how others here think about this: - Have you integrated AI or automation into portfolio ops yet? - Where have you actually seen ROI? - What parts of your business do you think could most benefit from becoming a “data refinery”?