Everyone says they "use AI" now. The statistic we keep citing here - that 76% of small businesses are already using AI - gets nodded at and moved past. Seems like progress. Seems like adoption.
But I've been thinking about that number differently lately. Because I "use AI" every day. And so does my realtor. And we are doing completely different things.
There Are Two Kinds of AI Users
The first kind builds. They use AI as a development environment. They're writing prompts that trigger other prompts. They're connecting tools, automating workflows, building systems that run while they sleep. For them, AI isn't a chatbot you ask questions to. It's infrastructure. It's the foundation of how their business operates.
I'm in this group. Not bragging about it - it took months of learning, failing, and iterating. Building a multi-agent system that actually works, that's safe, that produces reliable output - that's not something you figure out in a weekend. It's a skill. It compounds over time.
The second kind implements. They use tools that someone else built with AI. Their CRM now has an AI assistant built in. Their accounting software suggests categorizations automatically. They use an AI scheduling tool or an AI email summarizer. They're not building anything. They're deploying someone else's work.
This group is not doing it wrong. They're doing it right for where they are. A 25-year realtor doesn't need to know how to write a prompt chain. They need a tool that was built for them, by someone who does.
Why the Distinction Matters
When we lump these two groups together under the same "uses AI" label, we create a problem.
The builder looks at the statistic and thinks: "Good, more people are getting it." But the implementer looks at it and thinks: "I should be doing more. I'm behind." And then they go buy another tool they won't use, or they try to "learn AI" by watching YouTube tutorials that are aimed at builders, not at them.
The realtor doesn't need to build. The realtor needs the right system installed and running. That system should be invisible to them. When it works, they close more deals. They don't need to know why it works.
The Question to Ask Yourself
If you run a small business - or even a department that functions like one - here's the honest question: which group are you?
Are you someone who wants to build systems, iterate, and have AI become a core part of how your business runs from the inside out? Or are you someone who wants the benefit of those systems without building them yourself?
Both are valid. Neither is more serious than the other.
But they require completely different approaches. A builder needs to invest time in learning the infrastructure. An implementer needs to invest time in finding the right tools (and people who've already done the building).
The mistake is when an implementer tries to become a builder before they're ready. Or when a builder forgets that most of their customers are implementers who need something simple that just works.
What This Means for How We Cover AI Here
When we write about AI tools at The Useful Daily, we try to be honest about which group we're writing for. Most of our readers are implementers. You have a business to run. You don't have time to become a software engineer. You need to know: does this tool work, what does it actually do, what does it cost, and who should use it?
That's what we try to answer.
But I also think the builders deserve a seat at the table in this conversation. Because the systems that implementers will depend on in two years are being built by builders right now. What's possible is expanding faster than most people can track.
We're going to start covering both. The tools for the implementers. And the frontier for the builders. Because both groups are in this together.
The distinction just matters. And nobody seems to be making it.
Michael Molnar is the founder and editor of The Useful Daily. He is the Managing Partner of Glow, an independent creative agency, and has spent 25 years at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and brand strategy.