Most founders say the real win with AI right now is speed and productivity, not sales.
In fact, increased productivity and faster time-to-market account for 82% of the measurable impact reported.
This shift has changed hiring plans too: about three out of four founders are focusing on team efficiency, and nearly half are freezing or cutting back hiring in some roles to keep things lean.
Engineering teams lead the way in using AI, while areas like sales and support are still catching up.