The question that stopped me cold

A few weeks ago, a developer posted a video that went viral. He'd built an AI agent — but what made it remarkable wasn't what the agent could do. It was what you had to give it first: not instructions, not prompts, but a file that defined its identity. Values. Purpose. How it was meant to show up in the world.

That same week, I was building my own agent. As I sat down to write its identity file, one question stopped me cold:

I'm putting more thought into how this machine shows up in the world than I've ever put into how I show up in mine.

I'd just left Accenture after 28 years. Excited. Concerned. I could see AI's immense power, and I wanted to make sure it was pointed in the right direction.

Then it hit me: that direction is mine to define. And I'd never written it down.

One page changed everything

So I did. One page. I called it my Intent file — a simple document designed so my AI agents could actually read and operate from it. Every tool I build, every workflow I design, every decision my agents make, it all starts there. They're no longer just helpful. They're a force multiplier on my purpose.

That simple act changed everything.

It shaped how I'm building Cornerstone Group. How I show up professionally. And, unexpectedly, how I show up as a dad.

My kids are launching their own small ventures — one with 3D-printed accessories, one with handmade jewelry. They won't retire on the sales, but they're learning to experiment, to create without fear, to sandbox ideas. That's not just an AI skill. That's a life skill in this new era.

You're not alone in feeling this

Here's what surprised me most: every business owner I speak with feels the exact same mix of excitement and concern. Not just for their company, but for their family and the future they're trying to build.

This isn't just new technology. The relationship between humans and AI is fundamentally shifting. Which makes it more important than ever to get clear on your intent.

You don't need yet another AI tool. You need to know what you'll do with the freedom AI creates — for your business, your family, and the life you're actually building.

What's your intent?