A lot of people I used to know from the agile community are now deeply involved in AI work. Myself included. At first glance, that might look like trend-hopping. But to me, it makes perfect sense. If you take the how out of the equation, the goal hasn’t really changed. We’re still trying to answer the same fundamental question: How do we shorten the time between sensing a real customer need and delivering something valuable in response?

There’s a quiet feeling I hear from professionals again and again. It doesn’t usually come out directly. It shows up as a joke. Or a shrug. Or a half-confident, half-uneasy “Yeah, we’re using AI.” But underneath it is something else: “I feel like I’m always playing catch-up.”

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now, in headlines, boardrooms, investment decks, and strategy conversations. For many leaders, it feels overwhelming. But if you’ve lived through multiple waves of technology transformation, this moment should feel familiar.