I believe one of the greatest untapped assets in every organisation is the expertise that exists inside people's heads. At yoorz.ai, we help founders, business owners and organisations transform that expertise into Interactive Digital Assets through what we call Standard Operating Personas (SOPs). An SOP captures the knowledge, judgement and experience of an individual, making it accessible 24/7 to support customers, train teams, answer questions, generate market intelligence and create new commercial opportunities. Our philosophy is simple: Human expertise shouldn't disappear. It should compound. Unlike generic AI assistants, every Standard Operating Persona is built around the unique expertise of a specific person or organisation. The result is a digital asset that can scale knowledge far beyond the limits of time, geography or availability. Today, we're working with founders, creators and businesses across multiple industries, helping them preserve expertise, improve customer engagement, accelerate onboarding, and unlock entirely new ways of creating value. Our work typically begins with either an AI Opportunity Audit or a Commercial Transformation Framework, ensuring we understand where expertise creates the greatest commercial impact before recommending any technology. My background spans over 20 years in institutional finance, having worked in London and New York with firms including J.P. Morgan, Merrill Lynch, UBS and Citi, before founding yoorz.ai. Every Sunday I share my thoughts on AI, business transformation, entrepreneurship and the future of human expertise through this newsletter. If you'd like to learn more about transforming expertise into a scalable business asset, I'd love to have you along for the journey. Website: www.yoorz.ai
I No Longer Start With AI
The Questions I Ask Before I Recommend AIHello Reader, The response was overwhelming. What struck me most wasn't the number of people who read it. It was how many people told me afterwards: "I finally understand what you mean." That mattered to me. Because the real challenge isn't explaining AI. It's helping people see that AI isn't the starting point. Over the past few months, I've had conversations with founders, CEOs, investors and business leaders across a wide range of industries. Almost every conversation starts in the same place. "How could AI help my business?" It's a reasonable question. But I've realised it's usually the wrong first question. Today, before I recommend any technology, I ask something completely different.
Only after answering those questions does AI become relevant. Not before. That's also why I've changed how I work. Instead of beginning with a conversation about Standard Operating Personas, I now begin with understanding the business itself. Only once we understand the commercial reality can we decide whether AI belongs in the solution, and if it does, what role it should actually play. Sometimes the answer is a Standard Operating Persona. Sometimes it's a workflow. Sometimes it's automation. Sometimes the best answer isn't AI at all. And that's okay. Because the objective isn't to deploy AI. The objective is to build a better business. Ironically, this shift has made me even more convinced about the future of Standard Operating Personas. When they are built for the right reasons, they don't just answer questions. They preserve expertise. They surface opportunities. They create market intelligence. And they continue creating value long after you've logged off. This week reinforced something I wish more businesses understood. The companies that win with AI won't be the ones using the most AI. They'll be the ones asking the best questions first. Have a great week. Dilan P.S. If you're curious what role AI should actually play in your business, I've recently started offering an AI Opportunity Audit and a more detailed Commercial Transformation Framework. Both begin with understanding the business before recommending any technology, see the "Start your journey" section here, or reply to this email and let me know. P.P.S. And if you know someone who enjoys thoughtful reflections on AI, entrepreneurship and building interactive digital assets, they can join my weekly email here. |
Dilan Abeya
I believe one of the greatest untapped assets in every organisation is the expertise that exists inside people's heads. At yoorz.ai, we help founders, business owners and organisations transform that expertise into Interactive Digital Assets through what we call Standard Operating Personas (SOPs). An SOP captures the knowledge, judgement and experience of an individual, making it accessible 24/7 to support customers, train teams, answer questions, generate market intelligence and create new commercial opportunities. Our philosophy is simple: Human expertise shouldn't disappear. It should compound. Unlike generic AI assistants, every Standard Operating Persona is built around the unique expertise of a specific person or organisation. The result is a digital asset that can scale knowledge far beyond the limits of time, geography or availability. Today, we're working with founders, creators and businesses across multiple industries, helping them preserve expertise, improve customer engagement, accelerate onboarding, and unlock entirely new ways of creating value. Our work typically begins with either an AI Opportunity Audit or a Commercial Transformation Framework, ensuring we understand where expertise creates the greatest commercial impact before recommending any technology. My background spans over 20 years in institutional finance, having worked in London and New York with firms including J.P. Morgan, Merrill Lynch, UBS and Citi, before founding yoorz.ai. Every Sunday I share my thoughts on AI, business transformation, entrepreneurship and the future of human expertise through this newsletter. If you'd like to learn more about transforming expertise into a scalable business asset, I'd love to have you along for the journey. Website: www.yoorz.ai
Good morning Reader, Before today's thought, if you’d like to join the waitlist for The Expertise Asset White Paper when it’s published, email info@yoorz.ai with “INTERESTED” in the subject line.Last Sunday I wrote: Nothing compounds sitting still. Capital has to be deployed. Relationships have to be developed. Ideas have to be acted upon. And wisdom has to circulate. This week, through conversations, demos, follow-ups and continuing work on the White Paper, another question has kept coming...
Good morning from London, Reader Last Sunday, writing from Riyadh, I shared an idea that had crystallised during my week in Saudi Arabia: The next great wealth transfer is actually two transfers. Financial capital. And the wisdom that created it. This week, back in London, I realised there is another part to that idea. Nothing compounds simply because it has been preserved. Capital has to be deployed. Wisdom has to circulate. Ideas have to be acted upon. Relationships have to be developed....
Good morning from Riyadh, Reader Last Sunday I wrote: The model is rented.The expertise is owned. After a week in Saudi Arabia, meeting family offices, founders, investors and businesses, that idea has taken on a much bigger meaning for me. Because there is an extraordinary transition happening here. An enormous amount of wealth is moving from one generation to the next. But after the conversations I've had this week, I think we may be describing that transition incorrectly. The next great...