AI Is an Accelerant, Not a Fixer: Why Culture and Operating Systems Matter More Than Ever
- Erika Trautman
- Nov 17
- 4 min read
When companies rush to adopt AI, they are seeking a promise — faster output, smarter decisions, instant innovation.
Lately we’ve all been hearing that AI isn’t delivering on its promise. Yes, that’s partially because we’re in the experimentation phase and we haven’t quite cracked the code on all the best ways to use AI.
But I actually think more importantly, we need to acknowledge what AI really does, which is to bring acceleration. It multiplies the strengths and the weaknesses already present in the organization.
If your teams are aligned, AI accelerates progress.
If your teams are fragmented, AI accelerates confusion.
The truth is: AI doesn’t change who you are — it amplifies who you are. That’s why successful transformation starts not with technology, but with culture and structure.
The Pain Before the Promise
For many established software companies, the early days of AI transformation feel like déjà vu from every past shift — cloud, mobile, DevOps — but faster, louder, and with more scifi thrown in.
I hear the same issues over and over:
Strategic whiplash. Every week brings a new “AI priority” from a board member, a customer, or a competitor.
Team fatigue. Smart people are working hard but can’t see progress.
Shadow experimentation. AI tools popping up everywhere, no standards, no coordination.
Skepticism. Veteran employees quietly betting this “AI thing” will fade, like the last initiative that never stuck.
These aren’t technology problems. They’re business operating system problems — the invisible frameworks of how a company decides, focuses, measures, and learns.
Why AI Demands a Strong Operating System
AI doesn’t just automate tasks — it changes how energy flows through your business. Suddenly, humans and machines are co-creating output, and the speed of that loop can overwhelm the system if you’re not ready.
Without structure, the company’s attention fragments.
Without clarity, data becomes noise.
Without shared purpose, efficiency turns into burnout.
As leaders, I really believe we need to focus less on “Which AI tool should we use?” and more on “How do we make our organization ready to use any tool well?”
We need to be building a business operating system — not software, but a set of habits and cadences that harness and focus energy, both human and digital, to ensure that energy flows in the same direction.
Doing that well is what will enable us to pivot and adapt and thrive at the speed of AI.
What a Healthy Operating System Looks Like
This isn’t rocket science. We all know what it should look like. It’s just incredibly hard to actually get there. But in the promised land:
Everyone knows the few priorities that truly matter each quarter.
Teams meet with purpose, not just updates.
Data flows to the right people at the right time.
Decisions get made — and actually stick.
People trust that if they surface an issue, it will get solved, not buried.
And here’s a new one…agentic and human energy are aligned.
That’s the underlying infrastructure that lets AI amplify performance instead of compound chaos.
If You’re Leading AI Transformation, Start Here
Take an honest look at your business and assess how effective your organization is across 6 components every business has:
Your vision: Is it crisp, clear, compelling and understood by everyone in the organization?
Your people: Have you structured your organization for what you need to accomplish amidst AI transformation and do you really have the right people in the right seats?
Your data: Have you defined the short list of leading indicator metrics that will really help you steer the organization and drive decisions? And do you have individual owners who are accountable for those most important metrics? (Lagging data, too much data, or not enough data are all the same and they will mean you are flying blind.)
Your issues: Do you have a culture where people feel safe to surface the real issues? And is your organization good at solving the root problem or do you get stuck in analysis paralysis, politicking or decision by committee?
Your processes: Do you have the right set of processes, documented and followed by your whole team? Too many processes with too many steps and you’ll strangle your velocity and agility. Not enough and you’ll fail at consistency and replicability.
Your execution rhythm: Are you breaking down your long term vision into an effective plan for the year and for each quarter? For fast moving, innovative teams, you probably need to break down priorities into even shorter blocks. Do you have good systems in place to check progress and course correct when issues arise?
When all these pieces are in place, AI stops feeling like chaos and starts feeling like momentum.
If you find you’re weak in any of these areas, there are great techniques out there to help you strengthen them.
At Meritage, we think the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) is one of the best. We like it so much, it has become core to our investment thesis because we keep seeing how effectively it derisks execution and drives velocity for our portfolio companies.
If your company is experimenting with AI but struggling to translate effort into results, it might not be your tools — it might be your operating system. If you’d like help thinking through your AI transformation, let’s talk.
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