- AI-First Business by Jeff Sauer
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- Film Camera Thinking
Film Camera Thinking
Jeff Sauer
May 24, 2025
In partnership with
The film vs. digital mindset that's killing your productivity
The other day during a live training, an analogy popped into my head that stopped me in my tracks.
"Most people are treating AI like a film camera when it's actually digital."
That simple observation explains SO much about why some businesses are thriving with AI while others remain stuck.
Let me explain...
Remember film cameras? You had maybe 12-24 shots per roll. Each photo was precious. You had to get it right the first time because:
You couldn't see your results immediately
You paid for every shot, whether it worked or not
If you messed up, you might not know for days
One mistake (like an accidental X-ray at airport security) could ruin everything
This is exactly how traditional business has operated:
You hire someone, give detailed instructions, wait weeks to see if they're working out, and if you mess up the hiring or training?
Expensive mistake that costs you thousands.
It's why so many businesses stagnate.
They're afraid to "waste a shot" on their precious roll of film.
And it's precisely how most people are approaching AI right now – treating each prompt like some precious resource they need to get perfect the first time.
But here's the thing...
AI isn't a film camera. It's the most advanced digital camera ever created.
With digital cameras, everything changed:
You could take hundreds of shots instead of 12
You could see results instantly
Deleting mistakes costs nothing
Experimentation became essentially free
This shift from film to digital didn't just improve photography – it revolutionized it.
Suddenly people could try techniques they'd never risk with film. HDR imaging. Composite shots. Digital editing.
Heck, I’ve even been paid for my photos as an amateur, even though I barely knew what I was doing.
Photography exploded because the cost of experimentation dropped to zero.
And that's exactly what's happening with AI-First businesses.
During our last challenge, one participant shared how he'd been spending 2-3 hours crafting the "perfect prompt" for an important client project.
"Stop," I told him. "You're treating this like film when it's digital."
My partner Mercer showed him how to:
Start with a basic prompt (30 seconds)
See what worked/didn't work (30 seconds)
Refine and try again (30 seconds)
Repeat 10 times in 15 minutes
In less than 20 minutes, he had a result better than what he'd been struggling with for hours.
The businesses winning with AI right now understand this fundamental truth.
They're not trying to get it perfect – they're taking advantage of the near-zero cost of experimentation.
They're building systems that:
Generate dozens of variations
Quickly filter for the best ones
Learn from what works in the market
Build upon those successes
Meanwhile, businesses treating AI like film are stuck in a scarcity mindset:
"What if I make a bad prompt?"
"What if I don't get it right?"
"What if I make a mistake?"
These are film camera problems in a digital world.
The question isn't whether your first result will be perfect.
It won't be.
The question is: How quickly can you iterate? How effectively can you learn from each attempt? How systematically can you improve?
Look at your own approach to AI:
Are you spending too long crafting the "perfect prompt"?
Do you feel disappointed when your first attempt isn't amazing?
Are you hesitant to experiment because you're afraid of wasting time?
If so, you're still in the film camera mindset.
The businesses that will dominate in the AI era are the ones taking 500 shots, when others take 5. They're the ones building systems to capture their best results. They're the ones who understand that with digital, the limiting factor isn't the number of exposures – it's your ability to recognize and build upon what works.
So here's my challenge to you this week:
Stop trying to get it perfect the first time. Instead, focus on building a rapid iteration system. Take more shots. Learn faster. Build on what works.
The key to abundance isn't having the perfect prompt – it's having the best digital camera in history at your fingertips, with infinite exposures and instant feedback.
Are you using yours to its fullest potential? Or are you still treating it like film?
Until next Saturday,
Jeff Sauer
P.S. In our upcoming June AI-First Challenge, we're going to show you exactly how to build these rapid iteration systems – the ones that let you take 100 shots where others take 1.
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Coming Up at ProfitSchool
Tuesday, May 27th - 11.00 - 12.00 PM EDT
Emotional Endurance – Staying Powerful When You Feel Powerless
The biggest threat during hard times isn’t external—it’s emotional fatigue. This week, we equip you with tools to stay mentally sharp, emotionally agile, and creatively alive when things feel overwhelming.
This call is Open to all Newsletter Subscribers
Wednesday, May 28th - 11.00 - 12.00 PM EDT
Prevent scope creep before it starts. This session shows how AI can help draft clearer, more comprehensive Scopes of Work by analyzing past projects, suggesting precise language, and identifying potential ambiguities or risks. Create SOWs that accurately reflect defined results and guide effective action and delivery.
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Friday, May 30th - 1.00 - 2.00 PM EDT
Join us to chat about AI and Automation, we will share ideas and brainstorm together on the latest trends.
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