In a recent LinkedIn post, Dan Sherrard-Smith discusses the critical skills every founder must possess and argues against premature reliance on Artificial Intelligence. He emphasizes that mastering fundamental business processes is essential before integrating AI tools.
Sherrard-Smith outlines three core competencies that founders need to develop independently:
- Building a market of buyers
- Selling to that market
- Delivering sold products or services at a high level
According to Sherrard-Smith, these foundational skills provide invaluable lessons that cannot be replicated by AI. He states:
“But outsourcing them too early, means missing out on the deeper lessons for founders.”
The Perils of Over-Reliance on AI
Sherrard-Smith illustrates his point with a personal anecdote about his early webinar experiences. He recounts running a webinar in 2021 with only two attendees, a situation he found so disheartening he wished he could cancel it. However, the experience, despite its difficulty, proved formative. This led to a later webinar that attracted 5,000 sign-ups and 1,000 live attendees. He highlights the emotional continuity between these vastly different events:
“The feelings were the same. I just learned to accept them and do it anyway.”
This ability to navigate challenging emotions and persevere is, in Sherrard-Smith’s view, something AI cannot provide.
Essential Human Elements AI Cannot Replace
Beyond the ability to overcome personal setbacks, Sherrard-Smith identifies other crucial human elements that AI cannot substitute:
- Dealing with rejection
- Connecting genuinely with other humans
- Fostering community among founders and clients
He clarifies his stance on AI, asserting he is not against the technology itself. Sherrard-Smith acknowledges its power for automation and efficiency, stating:
“I’m not anti-AI: I automate things that used to eat hours of my week and I’d never go back.”
However, he strongly advocates for preserving certain core business functions and the human experiences associated with them.
The Enduring Value of Human Experience
Sherrard-Smith’s core message is that while AI can enhance speed and efficiency, it should not replace the fundamental learning and growth processes critical for entrepreneurial development. The resilience built through direct sales, customer interaction, and navigating the emotional ups and downs of business is, in his opinion, a vital component of founder success that AI cannot replicate. He concludes by inviting discussion on what aspects of business are worth retaining in the age of advanced AI.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Dan Sherrard-Smith on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on September 11, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →