Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking over the business world. It’s no secret. According to 2025 data, roughly 78% of companies are already using AI in some capacity—and 92% intend to increase their investment in AI over the next three years.
It’s no longer a trend. AI is here, and it’s here to stay. And for business leaders and founders across all sectors, that means that AI literacy is no longer just nice to have; it is essential for survival. For founders, the need to learn quickly has always been part of the job, but as the half-life of professional skills shrinks and the skills gap grows, it’s more important now than ever for founders to commit to a culture of continuous learning and upskilling.
It’s not just about learning quickly; it’s about learning effectively. To see what that looks like in practice, we asked real-life founders how they carve out time in their demanding schedules to stay on top of AI learning. Whether you’re focusing on startup founder skill development or growing your toolkit as a seasoned founder, their answers can help you remain relevant and resilient in the AI epoch.
The AI learning imperative: Why it matters for leaders
“Confidence today includes digital confidence.” Speaker, best-selling author and coach for women leaders, Simone Knego, shares these wise words. Words that tell you everything you need to know about the professional world we’re living in.
Leaders today need to have that digital know-how, including AI skills, in order to keep themselves and their company competitive. AI has the power to automate tasks, boosting efficiency. It can spark innovation and aid in decision-making. It allows organizations to be more agile and to scale in ways that wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago.
A founder’s job is to harness AI’s power in a way that’s unique to his or her business. For co-founder Daniel Lee, AI already acts as a co-pilot for his mental wellness app Aura, and he expects it to become further embedded into the way his company operates. “AI is the biggest technological shift of our time, and staying ahead means we can accelerate our mission and create outsized impact,” he says. “In mental health especially, I see it as a way to democratize access and help millions of people find peace and rediscover their light.”
Ultimately, AI shouldn’t be something founders are scared of or intimidated by. It should be viewed as an opportunity and a partner in pushing your mission forward. “AI isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about leaning into change with curiosity and courage. You don’t have to be technical to lean in, just open to learning and willing to explore what’s possible,” Knego says.
Five ways leaders can learn AI skills fast
You can’t learn AI overnight. But even for entrepreneurs who are juggling a million priorities, the process doesn’t have to be overwhelming or overcomplicated. Real founders share their own strategies for fitting AI skill-building into their days, creating a framework of accelerated learning that anyone can put into practice.
1. Start with a purpose
AI learning should be a deliberate practice for businesses and leaders. Logging in to ChatGPT and watching the cursor flash as you think of a vague demand isn’t going to get you far. Instead, learning should be focused and goal-oriented. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to learn AI?” Knego says you should already know what problem you want to solve before you even open a tool.
Lee follows a similar approach with his own AI learning. “I think about my daily life and ask which tasks could be automated or supported with an AI assistant, then I experiment in real time,” he says.
AI is a massive field, and it’s growing every day. Starting with a purpose helps you to cut out much of the noise and avoid shiny object syndrome. This clarity will put you on the fast track to finding the AI tools and solutions that are best suited for you and your business. It’s okay to start small and hone in on just a few tools that align with your goals.
2. Learn by doing
Lee says “the fastest way to learn AI is to actually use it”. There’s a time and place for tutorials and courses, but the real learning comes from jumping in and getting your hands dirty. Practice using different prompts in OpenAI. Experiment with automating real tasks. Ask an AI tool to break down a complex idea. Create content with AI, whether it be a visual or a content piece.
For Ash Hatef, who has founded multiple platforms in the AI space, including the AI content creation tool Stravix and the AI automation agency for small businesses Chime Stream—learning by doing manifests as a process of constant building. “The more I build, the more I understand what’s possible,” he says. “What we’ve shipped so far is maybe 10% of what we’ve actually built. Generative AI is evolving so fast that you only stay sharp by experimenting relentlessly. We build a lot, we test and then we only ship what truly works—every build teaches us something new.”
3. Integrate AI tools into daily workflows
AI can be your assistant, tutor and creative partner, all in one. High-performing founders find ways to take advantage of all its functions, using it to simplify their lives on a daily basis.
ChatGPT is one of the most popular tools leaders use for things like research, content creation and boosting efficiency. Just take it from Lee. He says he is able to multiply his learning speed by 10 times and increase his output by using the chatbot for concept breakdowns, brainstorming, experimentation and quick summaries of articles, reports and videos.
But ChatGPT is just the tip of the AI iceberg. There are countless other AI tools available for personalized learning. You may notice that some are built into the platforms you already use, like Microsoft Copilot or Gemini, which is integrated into Google Workspace. Then there’s NotebookLM to turn documents into quick insights or study materials. Canva Magic Studio, which teaches you design principles interactively. Replit Ghostwriter, which can help you master code writing. And so many more.
Finding clever ways to incorporate these tools into your routine means you’re gaining AI knowledge—sometimes without even realizing it—while also increasing your productivity. A win-win.
4. Embrace microlearning
Leaders and founders are famously busy. So, finding time to dive into AI and ensure that learning isn’t falling through the cracks can be difficult. The solution? Microlearning for executives.
Microlearning allows founders to break down learning into quick, targeted sessions. These bursts of 10 minutes or less make the process far more approachable—it could even be done during a morning commute. Knego shares that blocking out short AI sprints in her own schedule allows her to experiment and stay curious without getting overwhelmed.
But the best part is that this approach is also proven to be more effective. Studies show that microlearning improves content retention compared to traditional methods. Those big payoffs can start with you and just 10 minutes of your time per week.
5. Follow what other leaders are learning
Founders keep their finger on the pulse of what other leaders in their space are doing and consuming. It can be highly beneficial to understand not only what AI tools they may be using, but also how they’re applying them and what habits they’re forming to stay on top of developments in AI.
“Every week I follow industry leaders and creators who experiment with new AI models and capabilities,” Hatef explains. “I absorb what they’re discovering and immediately test how those advancements can improve my product and team. It’s a constant cycle of learning, adapting and applying.”
He also points to the tech platform Product Hunt or even X to keep up on new AI product launches. Tapping into founder communities or following AI-centric creators like Matt Wolfe or Ben’s Bites can also help founders stay in the know.
Master AI, master the future
Hatef says, “The future belongs to products that tame AI,” and the same could be said for leaders who tame AI. Founders who are able to make AI work for them, not against them, will find themselves in an advantageous position. The crux of the matter is finding a way to augment your business operations with these cutting-edge tools, and that inevitably starts with learning how to use them.
It can be as simple as committing to microlearning, using AI for daily tasks or diving in headfirst to test and experiment. When compounded over time, these practices will help founders stay sharp and lead longer in ever-changing industries.
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