Episode - AI Doesn't Replace Your Thinking It Amplifies It Jimi Li

What does it actually take to get real business value from AI? Jimi Li, CTO at ALM Media, has spent the last three years running AI initiatives inside a company that just went through a successful private equity exit — and he's got the framework to prove what works. From his early days in GE's global leadership program to building L'Oreal's e-commerce platform at scale, Jimi's career has always centred on one question: how does the work you're doing connect to business impact? That same lens is exactly how he approaches AI today.In this episode, Jimi breaks down the three categories of AI value every tech leader needs to understand — productivity, product enhancement, and new revenue streams — and explains why productivity is the most talked-about and the most dangerous if you don't have the right system to capture the gains. He also shares how cross-functional "fusion teams" are collapsing the feedback loop between engineering and the business, why AI fluency is becoming the dividing line between those who thrive and those who get left behind, and what the inflection point for mass adoption actually looks like.Key takeaways:AI value falls into three categories: productivity gains, embedding AI into core products, and new product or revenue creation — each requires a different strategy and measurement approachProductivity savings from AI are real but easily lost if your organisation isn't structured to capture themCross-functional fusion teams that include sales, finance, product, and engineering dramatically accelerate the feedback loop and motivate developers by connecting their work to real outcomesAI fluency — knowing what's good, what's wrong, and how to direct the output — is what separates high performers from the restThe inflection point for mass AI adoption is closer than most think, probably within one to two years, as friction around prompting and context dropsLeaders should focus on re-imagining workflows and tasks, not just learning toolsAI amplifies your thinking — it doesn't replace your critical judgment, and that judgment is your core valueConnect with Jimi Li:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimi-li/If this episode got you thinking differently about AI and leadership, hit subscribe and leave us a review — it helps more leaders find the show.I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast teamConnect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership#40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast