I started out as a web graphic designer.
I used to photoshop sites. Then in Adobe XD. Then in Figma.
I changed the instrument three times. Three times a new workflow. I've been brutally innovating my work, haven't I?
The No. I've simply adapted to the fact that technology has changed.
And that's exactly what most AI companies are doing right now.
Innovation Theatre
You have added AI to the product. They deployed internal AI tools. They sent people for training. They wrote a press release about it.
Shareholders applaud. LinkedIn is bursting at the seams with posts about “AI transformation.”
It's super. You just got adapted to a new environment. That's a good thing. This is necessary. But it's not innovation. It is the 2026 standard.
Haircut. ✂️
Adaptation maintains position. Innovation is changing it.
When I switched from Photoshop to Figma, I didn't change the way I think about design. I haven't changed how I work with clients. I haven't changed my approach.
I changed the instrument. That's the whole thing.
Companies get those two things wrong. And then they wonder that they've been “innovating” for two years now. And nothing has changed.
How do you know the difference
- Have you changed WHAT you do, or just HOW you do it?
New tool = how. New business model = what. Most AI projects only change the “how”. - Could anyone in your industry do the same?
If so, it's an adaptation. Innovation is what sets you apart. - Are you bringing new value to the customer, or the same value more efficiently?
More effectively = adaptation. New value = innovation.
What about that?
👉 Adapt. Quick. Who does not adapt... that's what Darwin writes about. It's not a strategy. It's survival.
👉 Don't confuse adaptation with innovation. Otherwise, you invest energy in a false sense of progress.
👉 Find real room for innovation. Where AI changes the rules of the game in your industry. Not where it just speeds up what you're already doing.
AI Marketing Lab and AI Design Lab are for those who want to adapt quickly and systematically. Master the technology so they don't miss the train.
Strategic thinking is for those who want to see further. Navigate the environment and find where there is real room for innovation. Not just adaptation.
Those who adapt will survive. Those who innovate will win.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. “
— Leon C. Megginson (often attributed to Darwin)
Reading for the weekend
AI Won't Give You a New Sustainable Advantage
HBR on why AI deployment alone is not a competitive advantage. If AI is adopted by everyone (and adopted), adoption alone will not differentiate you.
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