01/05/2026
📊A Recent Reputable Survey Says Growth Is Coming in 2026. Productivity Tells a Different Story.
A recent Chief Executive Research survey shows revenue growth expectations improving into 2026—especially among small and mid-sized companies. On paper, confidence is back.
⚠️ But one number stands out: productivity is barely moving.
Revenue per employee is flat—and among some top performers, it’s actually declining.
🤖 That’s striking given how much AI is now embedded across finance, ops, and go-to-market teams.
The takeaway for me isn’t that AI doesn’t work.
🧠 AI without smarter thinking doesn’t compound.
• AI speeds decisions — ❌ but can’t fix unclear accountability
• AI surfaces insights — ❌ but can’t clean broken processes
• AI scales ex*****on — ❌ but only if the operating model already works
🏆 The real winners won’t be the companies that “added AI.”
They’ll be the ones that paired AI with clear strategy, clean processes, and disciplined ex*****on.
🔍 For founders and CEOs thinking about future optionality—growth capital, a recap, or an eventual exit—this gap matters more than headline growth.
For me many early conversations are simply about helping leadership teams connect smarter thinking with the tools they already have—long before a transaction is on the table.
💬 Curious how others are seeing this:
Is AI actually changing how your business runs—or just how fast information moves?
