Do you find it hard to keep up with new AI solutions for your business?

’ll admit it. I’m drowning in new AI models, apps, services, and endless “must-try” tools.

Every blog, vlog, TikTok, podcast, and LinkedIn post seems to shout that this is the next big thing. It’s exciting, yes, but also exhausting.

What helped me wasn’t better tools. It was a better filter.

I now divide everything I see into two streams: entertaining and serious.

The entertaining stream is full of quirky tools, clever demos, and one-trick ponies. Some are pure hype, some are genuinely impressive. I play with them, learn from them, and occasionally borrow an idea. They’re fun, and sometimes they spark surprising insights.

But I don’t confuse entertainment with direction.

The serious stream is much smaller. These are the solutions that could realistically create value for a specific business, in a specific context. Fewer tools. Deeper thinking.

And that raises the real question...

How do you know what belongs in that serious stream?

My short answer: focus beats awareness.

You are not looking for everything. You are looking for what creates value for your business.

Once you accept that, the noise level drops immediately.

Different companies need very different AI pathways. A 30-person expert organization does not need the same tools, governance, or ambitions as a regulated enterprise with 20,000 employees. A product company with strong proprietary data should focus on very different opportunities than a service business optimizing internal workflows. Your size, your skills, your risk tolerance, and your existing capabilities all matter.

This is where a clear AI vision becomes essential.

Without a vision, every new AI tool looks equally important. With a vision, most of them become irrelevant.

A good AI vision doesn’t start with technology. It starts with questions like:

• Where do we want AI to make us meaningfully better?

• Are we trying to save time and cost, create new value, or rethink how our industry works?

• What are we not trying to do right now?

When that direction is clear, filtering becomes almost effortless. You’re no longer chasing trends. You’re scanning for signals that support your direction.

This doesn’t mean you should live in a bubble!

Listening to podcasts from other industries, following experiments that don’t have immediate relevance, and playing with tools “just because” still matters. Exploration feeds creativity. Curiosity keeps you sharp.

But focus is what keeps you sane.

When the wave of novelty tries to drown you, focus acts like a diving suit. You can enjoy the movement without drowning.

Not every new AI service is meant for you. And that’s not a weakness. It’s a strategic advantage.

If you know what you’re building, and why, you don’t need to keep up with everything. You just need to keep moving in the right direction.