If you're new this week, welcome! I'm happy you're here. I'm excited to share what's happening in the field and would love your feedback. I think you'll find value in the developments I spotted this week: from managing payroll to literally clicking around your desktop, we're finally seeing software adapt to how you work instead of forcing you to adapt to it. Here's what changed, why it matters, and what you can do.
— MICHAEL
What changed this week
Gusto launched an AI assistant to handle your payroll and expenses.
The popular HR platform introduced a new tool that connects your business apps and handles routine tasks using plain English. Instead of clicking through menus, you can just ask it to run payroll, pull a report, or review expenses directly from Slack or Google Workspace.
Source · The Deep View
OpenAI's newest software can now directly operate your Windows computer.
The makers of ChatGPT released an update that lets their AI actually use your PC just like a person would. It can open applications, move files around, and complete multi-step tasks while you monitor the progress from your phone. Why it matters: I see this as a game-changer for any small business, meaning a two-person team can soon automate tedious, click-heavy computer chores without needing to hire an extra set of hands.
Corporate leaders are discovering that cheap AI tools often cost more in the long run.
Several major companies, including Uber, recently admitted they burned through their AI budgets much faster than expected. When they tried to save money by switching to cheaper AI tools, the output dropped in quality and created massive amounts of manual rework for their teams. Why it matters: You don't need a massive corporate budget to learn their lesson: it is smarter to focus your spending on one premium tool that gets the job done right than to juggle cheap subscriptions that require constant oversight.
Why it matters
AI companies are finally building tools for shops your size, not just for Fortune 500s. I am seeing a shift from AI as a fancy brainstorming tool to AI as a reliable digital employee who handles the unglamorous backend work. That changes who can compete and how you spend your Tuesday mornings.
Tools like Gusto are proving that AI is at its best when it removes friction from the chores you hate. If payroll and expense tracking take up your Friday afternoons, that time is about to become yours again.
Big companies are learning the hard way that a cheap AI tool isn't a bargain if you have to double-check everything it produces. It's better to pay for one premium subscription that gets the job done right the first time than to piece together cheap alternatives that create rework.
The technology just crossed a threshold where AI can open files and use applications on your computer directly. This means you will soon be able to delegate repetitive computer tasks just by explaining what you want done.
You can use this week
Audit your current AI subscriptions.10 min
Take a look at your recent credit card statement and list every AI tool you're paying for. Cancel the ones your team hasn't actively used in the last two weeks—you only need a couple of reliable tools, not a dozen mediocre ones.
Test a plain-English prompt in your everyday software.5 min
The next time you open a familiar tool like Google Docs, Canva, or Slack, look for the new AI search or generation bar. Try asking it to find a specific document or summarize a long thread just like you'd ask a human assistant.
This week's tip
Tell it who to be
Start your message with Act as a small business accountant or Act as a customer service manager who's been doing this for 15 years. Specifying the role focuses the response and lifts quality significantly.
Rise Above pick
Google's NotebookLM
I've been using this to make sense of messy project files and long contracts. Instead of a general AI that searches the whole internet, you upload your own specific PDFs or documents, and it only answers questions based on your files. It's incredibly accurate, free to use, and recent leaks show it will soon connect directly to your Google Drive to pull in information automatically.
Open it →One thing to think about
If you could hand off just one repetitive computer task—the kind that involves clicking the same five buttons every single day—what would it be, and what could your business achieve with those recovered hours?
Michael Browne
Founder · Rise Above Partners · Viroqua, WI
Want a thought partner on any of this? I read every reply. Or grab 15 minutes on my calendar — no pitch, just useful.