OPE+ May 2026 | Page 23

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The model can tailor its answers to your vocabulary, your learning style, your specific business context and your pace.

Here’ s the thing these firms won’ t tell you: a frontier model— Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, take your pick— can answer the same questions they’ re answering for you, and it can do it better. Not because the consultants are unintelligent, but because the model can tailor its answers to your vocabulary, your learning style, your specific business context and your pace. It doesn’ t have a slide deck to get through and it doesn’ t have a billable-hours incentive to stretch things out— it’ s just there, ready to explain whatever you need, as many times as you need, in whatever way clicks for you.

So, before you write a check to an AI integration company, do yourself a favor: open up your favorite frontier model and ask it whether you need to hire an AI firm, or whether the model itself can give you that information faster and more aligned with what you actually need to hear. You might be surprised by the answer— and you’ ll definitely be surprised by how much money you just saved.

Stop waiting for permission

If you’ re a small business owner sitting on the sidelines because you think AI is“ not for you”— because you’ ve spent your career turning wrenches instead of writing code, because you didn’ t go to school for this, because the word“ algorithm” still makes your eyes glaze over— I need you to hear this clearly: You are more prepared for this moment than you think. The people building the most valuable AI applications right now are not the ones with the fanciest engineering credentials. They’ re the ones who understand their industry deeply enough to know what problems need solving and how to solve them correctly. They’ re the ones who have spent years in the trenches— learning, failing, adapting, and building expertise that no large language model can simulate.

The technology is available. The tools are accessible. The gap between you and a working product has never been smaller. What’ s left is the thing you already have: the knowledge.

The world has it backwards

We’ ve convinced an entire generation that to participate in the AI revolution, they need to go learn AI. That’ s like telling someone they need to become an automotive engineer before they can drive to work. You don’ t need to understand how the engine works at a molecular level. You need to know where you’ re going and why.

The skill is not artificial intelligence. Not really. The skill is not building the technical software. Not really.

The skill is in the domain expertise. It always has been. The tools have just finally caught up.

Brian Rismoen is the owner of Modern Mower in Sterling Heights, Mich. Author of“ The Repair-First Dealer”, published AI authority and the developer of an AI-powered dealer management system and other AI powered tools for the outdoor power equipment industry. He brings over 30 years of diagnostic expertise to the intersection of skilled trades and emerging technology.

OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT

PARTS, TOOLS & ACCESSORIES

America ' s # 1 Supplier

BECOME A ROTARY DEALER