A recent article from Fast Company highlights strategies for organizations to empower non-technical employees to embrace artificial intelligence. At Super.com, the membership program for saving and credit building, leaders took proactive steps to alleviate engineering bottlenecks by teaching non-technical staff to build their own tools and automations, resulting in over 200 million dollars in annual revenue with just 200 employees. The company established cross-functional AI guilds to foster collaboration between technical and non-technical teams, emphasizing the importance of creating accessible tools that require minimal training. Additionally, a clear internal AI policy was implemented to guide appropriate use, while celebrating small victories in tool development fostered a culture of innovation. This approach has allowed engineers to focus on high-impact projects, as daily AI tool usage among developers has risen to 93 percent, shifting the landscape of productivity within the organization.
A recent study from Stanford University reveals that artificial intelligence may be significantly impacting employment for young workers, particularly in highly exposed roles like software development and customer service. The research indicates that employment for young individuals aged 22 to 25 in these sectors has declined by 13 percent since the introduction of AI tools like ChatGPT. Previously, opinions on the effect of AI on youth employment varied widely, ranging from concerns of an impending job apocalypse to claims of negligible impact. However, this latest data suggests a clear correlation between AI exposure and declining job opportunities for younger workers, contrasting with stable or increasing employment in less exposed fields such as home health aide positions. The findings point to a growing need for educational institutions to adapt curricula to better prepare students for an evolving job market influenced by AI technologies.
Small business owners across the United States are grappling with a persistent challenge: unfilled job openings. According to the National Federation of Independent Business’s September Jobs Report, 32% of small business owners reported having job openings they could not fill, a figure that has remained steady since July 2020. Bill Dunkelberg, Chief Economist at the National Federation of Independent Business, emphasized that while the economy may not be heading toward a recession, labor imbalances continue to pose significant concerns for growth. Encouragingly, 16% of small business owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, the highest hiring intentions since January. However, 88% of those hiring faced difficulties in finding qualified candidates, a rise from previous months. Additionally, 31% of small business owners increased wages in September, reflecting the competitive landscape for attracting talent. As the year-end approaches, effective hiring strategies will be crucial for small business owners navigating this dynamic job market.
Why do we care?
Here’s what’s happening in the world of work—AI’s not killing jobs evenly. It’s shifting who gets to win.
Take Super.com. They trained non-technical employees to build their own tools—no coding, just practical AI. The result? Two hundred people generating two hundred million in revenue. That’s how you scale productivity: teach your team to fish, don’t hand them another bot.
Then there’s Stanford’s data—young workers in software and customer service roles down 13% since ChatGPT launched. That’s not abstract—that’s entry-level jobs disappearing. It’s a warning: the career ladder’s missing a few rungs.
And yet, small business owners say they can’t find people—32% have open roles they can’t fill. They’re paying more, still can’t hire. It’s not a shortage—it’s a mismatch.
So, what’s the takeaway for MSPs? Stop just selling automation. Start selling enablement. Help your clients train their people, write AI policies, and close those skill gaps. If you can make a customer’s team more capable, not just their system more efficient—you’re not just an IT provider anymore. You’re a growth partner. And that’s where the real margin lives.