The 70/30 and 70/20/10 Rules: How to Think Before You Spend a Dime on AI

You bought an AI subscription. You tried it. It never quite worked the way you expected or it felt like a whole other job on top of the one you already have. So it just sits there doing nothing. The problem is not the tool. It's that you skipped the foundation.Two ratios change how you think about this. The 70/30 rule shows you which part of your week to hand off and which part to protect. The 70/20/10 rule shows you why most AI rollouts fail — and it has nothing to do with the model you picked. Before you spend a dime on any tool, you need to know where you are on the map.For small business owners, this math is the difference between AI that actually frees up your time and an expensive subscription that collects dust.KEY TAKEAWAYS- 70% of your workweek is work about work — emails, status chasing, presentations, slides. That is the part you give to AI.- The 30% is where you actually earn your money — relationships, judgment, trust, the things AI won't get the context of.- In the 70/20/10 rule, the AI tool is only 10%. The people and the process are 70%. If they're not bought in, the tools don't get used.- Your data is the 20% — your files, reports, customer information. If it's in somebody's head and not digitized, AI can't do anything with it.- Change management is not a soft skill when it comes to AI. It is 70% of the equation.- When you get time back from AI, don't reinvest it in more 70% tasks. Invest it in the 30 — take a client to lunch, go face to face, do something creative.Have a question for Dr. Mike? Visit thotosai.com — your question may become a future episode.