AI is racing ahead, but the winners in 2026 won’t be those chasing the “smartest” model. They’ll be the ones who build practical systems that help real people ship better work. That’s the core message I took from Jeff Su’s latest outlook—and I agree. As someone who helps brands create superfans, I see the same pattern: tools matter less than how you use them to serve customers.
The Case for Practical AI
Models are becoming commodities. Performance gaps are shrinking and costs are dropping fast. Nvidia’s newest chips use 105,000 times less energy per token than a decade ago. When quality converges and price falls, the edge moves to the “app layer” where reach, integration, and trust decide winners.
“Models don’t matter much anymore… the competition has moved to reach, integration, and trust.” — Jeff Su
Translation: stop obsessing over leaderboards. If you live in Google Workspace, Gemini’s deep links to Docs, Gmail, and Calendar might beat a slightly “smarter” rival. What counts is fit, not flex.
Workflows, Not Agents
The market already voted. McKinsey finds no more than 10% of teams have scaled true agents. Meanwhile, OpenAI reports 20% of enterprise use is flowing through workflow tools like custom GPTs. Why? Because consistent, human-in-the-loop systems beat flashy demos.
“This is the decade of agents, not the year.” — Jeff Su
Real companies are redesigning how work gets done. A pharma team cut prep time 60% and errors 50%. A utility cut cost per call 50% while lifting satisfaction 6%. A bank halved hours for code migration with AI reviewing legacy code before humans sign off.
As a fan strategist, I see the same playbook with customers. People don’t want magic; they want reliable outcomes. Build “agent-light” workflows that deliver the same win every time.
The Technical Gap Is Closing
This one should wake up every specialist. OpenAI reports 75% of enterprise users completed tasks they couldn’t do before. Coding messages from non-technical staff grew 36% in six months. MIT studies show AI lifts lower-skilled workers faster, narrowing the gap with experts.
If your value is “I’m the dashboard person,” your moat is shrinking. But if you own the customer problem, your time just arrived. Execution is closer to the point of insight. That’s how superfans are made—by removing friction between knowing and doing.
Context Beats Clever Prompts
Prompting still matters, but context now matters more. Models don’t know your Q3 goals, brand voice, or last week’s memo unless you give it to them. The platforms fighting to win your email, docs, and calendar know this. They want your context because it makes their assistants smarter—and stickier.
Two simple moves will boost your results without buying anything new.
Start with a quick explainer, then try the list as a checklist for your week.
- Get your files named and organized so AI can find them.
- Consolidate work into fewer platforms to reduce context loss.
- Attach brand guidelines and recent goals to key tasks.
- Keep humans in the loop for final judgment calls.
Ads Are Coming—And That’s Okay
No one loves ads. But without an ad-supported tier, the best models stay gated for those who can pay, and the gap widens. Industry voices expect chatbot ads to sit near conversations, not inside answers. Think banners, not “recommended products” in your chat.
Access matters more than purity. If ads help students, nonprofits, and small teams use top-tier tools, I can live with that tradeoff.
From Screens to Streets
Software is stepping into the physical world. Waymo has driven over 100 million fully autonomous miles with 96% fewer crashes than humans. Amazon’s AI-enabled robots cut order-to-ship time by 78%. China has deployed more industrial robots than the U.S. and the rest of the world combined.
Humanoid bots? Not soon. But cars, tractors, and warehouse machines are becoming upgradable platforms. They get better with software, like phones. White-collar disruption grabbed headlines first, but blue-collar work will shift over a longer arc.
My Playbook for 2026
Here’s how I’m advising leaders to win fans and results this year.
Use this list to pressure-test your team’s plans in under an hour.
- Pick one recurring deliverable and turn it into a workflow with clear steps.
- Automate the predictable parts; keep humans for taste and judgment.
- Pilot with one team, measure quality and time saved, then scale.
- Train non-technical staff to “attempt the impossible” monthly.
- Standardize context packs: goals, guidelines, examples, and data sources.
The Moment Favors Doers
“There are no experts who know everything already. You just need to learn faster than the person next to you.” — Jeff Su, citing Ethan Mollick
That line hits. Expertise is being reset. The edge goes to those who move now, build calm systems, and ship repeatable wins. Start with one workflow this week. Organize your files. Consolidate your tools. Teach your team to learn in public.
Stop chasing model hype. Build workflows your customers love. That’s how you create superfans—and that’s how you win 2026.
