What happens when a seasoned entrepreneur takes a 15-month trip around the world with his family only to come back and build an AI-driven powerhouse? In this episode of Show Your Value, Lee Benson sits down with Jason Smith, co-founder and CEO of Klue, to discuss the seismic shift toward "AI-first" business models and the timeless importance of human connection.

Jason shares the origin story of Klue, which was born from a "scratching an itch" moment when he realized sales teams were losing credibility by winging it against competitors. They dive deep into how AI is acting as both a "nuclear reactor" of productivity and a competitive threat that companies must embrace to survive.

Key Topics Covered:

• The "AI-First" Mandate: Why starting a company today means starting with agents first and why small, AI-leveraged teams are the future.
• The 1-9-90 Rule of AI: How to move from being a "voyeur" to a "tinkerer" and eventually a power user of tools like Claude and ChatGPT.
• Training Your "AI Interns": A CEO’s perspective on overcoming the fear of "training your replacement" and instead building a personal competitive advantage.
• Global Perspectives on Value: Jason reflects on his 15-month family sabbatical, teaching his daughters about privilege, poverty, and the universal nature of human connection.
• The Future of Purpose: Why the "AI revolution" makes human-to-human interaction more valuable than ever and how to find purpose in a world of increasing automation.
• Embracing Discomfort: Why Jason seeks out the "edge of discomfort" to drive growth and how to handle the skeptics when you’re building something new.

About Jason Smith

Jason Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Klue, a competitive enablement platform that helps companies collect, curate, and deliver market insights. A serial entrepreneur and former president of Vision Critical, Jason is a leading voice on leveraging AI to outmaneuver the competition while maintaining a focus on creating real-world value.

For more free videos, tools, and resources about the MIND Methodology go to https://etw.com/