AI isn’t the edge. Trust is.

[A video version of this post is available here.]

We all know great service when we receive it.
 It’s not a script. Not a chatbot.
 It’s someone showing up like your time – and money – matters.

The companies already obsessed with service are quietly building with AI. Not to replace humans – to buy back time for them. Because relationships are still the linchpin. They’re often the difference between surviving and scaling.

Except when they’re not.

Two years ago, during First Republic’s bank run, everything shifted overnight. We had the best relationships in the business. Clients used the word “love” to describe our bank and they couldn’t save us.

Turns out, love isn’t enough. Trust is.


And in our case, it wasn’t just trust in people. It was trust in the system.
 (But that’s a bigger post for another time.)

Here’s what I took away:

• Loyalty has a shelf life when fear hits.

• No one is irreplaceable in a crisis.

• Relationships matter – but only if people believe you’ll still be standing.

That’s why the smartest teams are automating the noise so humans can deliver the signal.


AI isn’t the edge. Trust is.


And in this next era, it’s trust in our ability to use these tools wisely to save the one thing we never get back: our time.

I’m heading to LA for Milken Week to meet with people who get it: The next advantage isn’t just technological.
 It’s relational.
 But only if we make time for it.

Let me know if you’ll be there! Would love to catch up or meet.