The Right-Hand Roadmap

The Operator's Guide to AI Tool Selection (Before Your CEO Buys Another One) Your entrepreneur is excited about another AI tool, but before you add it to your tech stack, you need to know this: MIT research shows that 95% of AI investments have produced zero returns at the company level.  The Salesforce disaster is the perfect case study: they laid off 4,000 employees to pivot to AI (after promising it wouldn't impact jobs), then had to pivot back when the large language models proved unreliable and experienced drift.  As operators and Seconds-In-Command, you're fielding these AI tool requests constantly, but most SMBs aren't ready for agentic AI or even vibe-coded applications that pose serious security risks (60% of businesses shut down after a cyber attack). In this episode, host Megan Long covers some basic frameworks and points of skepticism to be aware of before adopting any AI tool - agentic or vide-coded.  Beyond ROI concerns, there are real ethical considerations. Being intentional about AI tool selection isn't just about avoiding wasted budget; it's about building efficiencies responsibly without compromising security or causing harm. You'll hear all about: 00:29 - Introduction: The plethora of AI tools promising the world and how operators are fielding these from excited CEOs 00:59 - Origin story: Second First Mastermind quarterly cohort meetings and how vendor selection became a hot topic 01:49 - The 6 critical questions to ask before purchasing any software or tool (pull up your notes app!) 02:57 - The overwhelming answer: Yes, we've all wasted significant time and money on failed software purchases 03:14 - The AI reality check: MIT research shows 95% of AI investments have produced zero returns 03:36 - The nuance: Individuals find personal efficiencies, but company-level P&L shows no benefits 03:45 - Surprising finding: Most AI investments go to Sales & Marketing instead of Operations 03:59 - Salesforce case study: Laid off 4,000 employees for AI, then had to pivot back when it failed 04:40 - Vibe coding concerns: Security and compliance risks when beginners code their own apps 05:18 - The scary stat: 60% of businesses shut down following a cyber attack 05:43 - What is agentic AI and why it sounds so promising (systems that act autonomously on your behalf) 06:14 - Why most SMBs aren't ready: Clean your house before inviting the AI guest over 06:52 - Four guidelines for selecting AI tools: Start low-cost, tie to value creation, plan to scale, use KYA framework 08:11 - The Know Your Agent (KYA) framework: Capability, behaviors, decision tracing, abuse prevention, sandboxes, and human overrides 09:15 - Soapbox moment: Using AI ethically and understanding why people are anti-AI 09:50 - The creative industry impact: Animation directors, musicians, and the elimination of royalties 10:27 - Other ethical concerns: Deepfakes, surveillance, misinformation, environmental harm in rural communities   Rate, review & follow on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen! OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE If you haven't already done so, follow the podcast to make sure you never miss a value-packed episode. Links mentioned in the episode: Second First Membership Second First One-on-One Coaching Second First on Instagram Second First on LinkedIn Megan Long on LinkedIn