- The Leaders Leverage
- Posts
- Building an Influence Moat: My AI Strategy
Building an Influence Moat: My AI Strategy
Create lasting influence in the fast-paced AI world.
James Brooks
May 30, 2025
The AI world moves fast. Every day there’s a new tool. A new model. A new "must-try" app. And every founder, creator, and entrepreneur I know is caught in the trap. They waste hours testing shiny objects instead of building real influence. But here’s the truth. Influence compounds. Hopping from tool to tool doesn’t.
This week I’m focusing on how to build what I call your Influence Moat. It’s the thing that keeps people coming back to you no matter what new AI drops tomorrow.
Today’s Issue:
Why chasing tools kills your strategy
How to build 3 brands that make you unstoppable
How to use AI to serve you, not distract you
AI Leverage
This week’s Leader’s Leverage highlights the importance of building a long-term influence strategy rather than getting distracted by the constant flood of new AI tools. The focus is on creating an "Influence Moat" through a clear, structured approach that brings sustainable results.
Key Points:
Avoid the trap of chasing every new AI tool at the expense of your core vision and mission
Build an "Influence Moat" by developing three foundational brands: personal brand, media brand, and business brand
Use the T.A.P. Method to make AI work for you by focusing on Time, Attention, and Profit
Continuously refine your strategy so tools stay aligned with your long-term influence goals
Key Takeaway: In the fast-paced world of AI and digital trends, a well-defined influence strategy anchored in clarity, community, and purposeful automation leads to meaningful and lasting growth. This week’s framework encourages leaders to remain focused on what truly drives impact rather than being led by every new technology trend.
AI Copilots
🤖 TIME Theme Prompt
Purpose
Objective: To automate repetitive administrative tasks to save time and reduce manual errors.
SMB Relevance: SMBs often struggle with routine tasks that consume valuable time; automation can significantly streamline operations.
Timeliness/Context: Businesses can benefit from automating tasks, especially during peak seasons or when scaling operations.
Core Functionality
Copilot Actions: Implement automated workflows for task management, scheduling, and reporting.
Key Capabilities to Leverage: Use of Natural Language Processing and Task Automation tools to create integrated systems.
Interaction Style
Copilot Persona/Tone: Professional and supportive, providing clear, concise instructions.
Guidance Level: Step-by-step guidance with examples on setting up automation.
Typical User Inputs
Information Required: List of repetitive tasks, software applications in use (e.g., calendar, project management tools).
Format of Input: Text-based list or bullet points.
Expected Outputs
Deliverables: A detailed automation plan, including workflow maps and setup instructions.
Format/Structure of Output: Document or interactive workflow model.
Success Criteria: Reduction in time spent on identified tasks by at least 20% within the first month.
AI News
➔ Featured Story
Snowflake plans to acquire Crunchy Data to enhance its AI capabilities, improving services for small and medium-sized businesses looking to leverage advanced data management tools.
Key Points:
Snowflake aims to strengthen its AI agent business with the acquisition of Crunchy Data.
This move targets small and medium-sized businesses seeking better data management solutions.
Crunchy Data specializes in PostgreSQL, enhancing Snowflake's AI-driven offerings.
The acquisition positions Snowflake competitively in the fast-evolving AI data solutions market.
Key Takeaway: Why this matters: Snowflake's acquisition is crucial for staying relevant in a competitive market. By enhancing AI capabilities, it empowers SMBs to optimize operations, thus meeting a rising demand for sophisticated data management solutions in an AI-driven ecosystem.
➔ Other Notable AI News
Death to Gmail? Google DeepMind CEO Wants AI to Solve Email Overload
DeepMind CEO says AI agents should be able to manage and clear your inbox autonomously.
Why Salesforce Is Paying $8 Billion for 'the Plumbing of AI'
Salesforce’s $8B acquisition of data integration giant Informatica shows AI isn’t useful without clean, connected data.
This Hidden AI Gem Is Poised to Revolutionize a $3 Trillion Industry
Insider look at an AI company transforming global supply chains and logistics.
IBM Acquires Seek AI to Power Watsonx AI Labs
IBM continues its AI spree, adding Seek AI’s search and insights tech to Watsonx.
Microsoft Launches Bing Video Creator-We Tested It Against Google’s Veo
AI video tools go head-to-head-Bing’s new creator battles Google’s Veo 3.
US FDA Launches AI Tool to Speed Scientific Reviews
New AI tool aims to dramatically reduce the time required for regulatory reviews.
Meta to Use GenAI to Automate Ad Creation and Targeting
Meta announces it will deploy GenAI to fully automate ad copywriting and targeting optimization.
AI Economy
Big Picture: The global economy is experiencing significant shifts, with U.S. business optimism declining sharply, indicating potential economic instability as fears mount over continued tariff impacts from the Trump administration. In the Eurozone, recent data shows a notable resilience, with German factory orders unexpectedly rising amidst U.S. tariff threats, suggesting strong underlying demand. Meanwhile, Japan's economic outlook remains uncertain, evidenced by weak demand in a recent bond auction, contributing to broader concerns regarding global debt sustainability. (Bloomberg, Financial Times)
What to Watch
A recent Fed report indicates that only three U.S. districts reported economic growth, while six experienced declines, highlighting the strain from tariffs and increasing recession fears.
German factory orders rose by 2.5% in April, defying expectations for a downturn following new U.S. tariffs, suggesting robust manufacturing demand.
Small-cap stocks in the U.S. are drawing attention as a potential buying opportunity, entering a favorable season for recovery after a difficult start to 2025.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has announced plans to continue hiring engineers despite significant investments in AI, emphasizing the value of human capital in tech advancements.
Key Takeaway: The prevailing economic signals indicate a cautious approach is necessary for leaders amid declining business optimism and rising recession fears in the U.S. Companies that adapt by enhancing their technological capabilities, particularly in AI, are likely to navigate these challenges more effectively. According to recent analyses, businesses prioritizing human talent alongside technology investments are better positioned to achieve sustainable growth in unpredictable markets.
AI Community
💬 Q&A of the Week
Q1: How will Snowflake’s acquisition of Crunchy Data specifically benefit small to midsize businesses like mine that are starting to integrate AI solutions into their data infrastructure?
Answer (from newsletter team):
Great question, Dana! Snowflake’s acquisition of Crunchy Data is designed to make advanced AI capabilities more accessible to businesses like yours. By incorporating Crunchy Data’s deep expertise in PostgreSQL, Snowflake can enhance its AI agent ecosystem with more robust, scalable, and secure data management. For SMBs, this translates into more powerful AI-driven analytics, reduced complexity when dealing with structured and unstructured data, and cost-effective solutions for optimizing operations, all critical as you scale and integrate more data-reliant tools. This move should simplify your path to adopting AI in a meaningful and strategic way.
That's it for today!
Before you go we’d love to know what you thought of today's newsletter to help us improve The Leaders Leverage experience for you.
See you soon,
James Brooks—The Leader’s Leverage editorial team
Reply