We often ignore a key point in the AI conversation: the next era of value creation won’t come from the technology itself. It will come from the humans who know how to harness it.

The people who can shepherd, facilitate, and champion AI and data adoption — the ones who translate capability into outcomes — will greatly influence which companies thrive in the years ahead.

A few weeks ago, a student emailed me asking for an unpaid, remote internship. I replied to see if they’d be open to tackling some AI projects for VITALIZE. Their response: “I’m afraid I’m not qualified to work on AI.” And while I appreciated the honesty, it made me pause. No one is really qualified yet.

This student’s email had said, “I believe my background in quantitative research and strong analytical skills would allow me to add meaningful value to your team. I would be eager to contribute through market analysis, diligence support, and even preliminary sourcing or deal preparation.”

Going forward, we won’t just hire analysts and associates at VC funds to write memos or build reports. We’ll hire them to build tools that make those processes faster and better. Every item this student listed — market analysis, diligence, sourcing — is already being heavily augmented with AI. You don’t need to be an engineer to experiment with AI tools. You just need to be open-minded enough to try and figure out how AI can improve existing workflows. I don’t see a future world in VC where entry-level talent isn’t adept at AI and data.

Several of my VC friends have recently shared stories of incredibly talented, product-focused consultants or students who are building AI solutions that replace weeks of work in minutes. They figure it out. Quickly. I haven’t yet met one of these exceptional superstars for VITALIZE’s projects, but if you know someone, please reach out. These early adopters who dive in and just figure it out will be the ones best positioned on this AI ride we all find ourselves on.

We’re seeing the people side of AI and data take shape across our portfolio, too. One of our companies is hiring a data scientist to build a complex data graph designed to extract value from networks — a system that, if done well, could redefine how people connect and collaborate. It’s a single hire, but a pivotal one. The work this person does will shape the company’s entire data strategy and long-term potential. This hire could make all the difference.

As AI becomes embedded across every sector, the differentiator will be the people — all the way from entry-level analysts to heads of data strategy. The tech isn’t nearly advanced enough to succeed without these architects and champions who lead the way.

On a related note: I started this blurb with AI prompts and examples from previous newsletters, and I still had to revise about 90% of it. We just aren’t there yet without humans in the loop.