Your “AI VP” Is a Joke
Everyone is bragging about their new “AI VP of Sales.” For a few hundred bucks a month, they’ve supposedly automated a key executive. Don’t fall for the hype.
Everyone is bragging about their new “AI VP of Sales.” For a few hundred bucks a month, they’ve supposedly automated a key executive. Don’t fall for the hype.
That isn’t a VP. It’s a glorified dashboard with an API key. Let’s be incredibly clear about what these tools are: sophisticated data processors. They can analyze CRM data, monitor pipeline velocity, and flag deals that haven’t had recent activity. This is valuable, but it’s the work of a RevOps analyst, not a Vice President.
Leadership Is Not a Calculation
The most important parts of a sales leader's job are the least quantifiable. A real VP reads the room on a forecast call and senses the hesitation in a rep’s voice. They feel a deal slipping three weeks before the CRM data reflects it. They get on a plane to have the dinner that saves a multi-million dollar account. They coach the promising-but-struggling B-player into next year’s top performer.
They absorb pressure from the board so the team can focus on selling. They build a culture that makes people want to win together. They smell bullshit from a mile away, whether it’s from a rep, a customer, or a fellow exec. Show me the LLM that can do any of that.
The Real Cost of a Fake VP
The obsession with building an AI executive is a dangerous distraction. The $250 you spend on API calls is a rounding error. The real cost is the opportunity cost of your focus. While you’re in a terminal window trying to automate leadership, your competitor’s human VP is stealing your lighthouse customer, poaching your best rep, and building a team that would run through a brick wall for them.
You’re distracted by a shiny object, automating the tasks of an analyst and calling it an executive. They are building a sales dynasty. Who do you think wins in the long run?
The takeaway: Stop chasing the fantasy of an automated executive. This week, reinvest your time in the un-automatable, human-to-human parts of your job that no machine can ever replicate.
"Your obsession with building an “AI VP” isn't a sign of innovation; it's a confession that you don't know what real sales leadership looks like."
That isn’t a VP. It’s a glorified dashboard with an API key. Let’s be incredibly clear about what these tools are: sophisticated data processors. They can analyze CRM data, monitor pipeline velocity, and flag deals that haven’t had recent activity. This is valuable, but it’s the work of a RevOps analyst, not a Vice President.
Leadership Is Not a Calculation
The most important parts of a sales leader's job are the least quantifiable. A real VP reads the room on a forecast call and senses the hesitation in a rep’s voice. They feel a deal slipping three weeks before the CRM data reflects it. They get on a plane to have the dinner that saves a multi-million dollar account. They coach the promising-but-struggling B-player into next year’s top performer.
They absorb pressure from the board so the team can focus on selling. They build a culture that makes people want to win together. They smell bullshit from a mile away, whether it’s from a rep, a customer, or a fellow exec. Show me the LLM that can do any of that.
The Real Cost of a Fake VP
The obsession with building an AI executive is a dangerous distraction. The $250 you spend on API calls is a rounding error. The real cost is the opportunity cost of your focus. While you’re in a terminal window trying to automate leadership, your competitor’s human VP is stealing your lighthouse customer, poaching your best rep, and building a team that would run through a brick wall for them.
You’re distracted by a shiny object, automating the tasks of an analyst and calling it an executive. They are building a sales dynasty. Who do you think wins in the long run?
The takeaway: Stop chasing the fantasy of an automated executive. This week, reinvest your time in the un-automatable, human-to-human parts of your job that no machine can ever replicate.
"Your obsession with building an “AI VP” isn't a sign of innovation; it's a confession that you don't know what real sales leadership looks like."
