I tried a $500 'AI consultant' versus just asking my retired neighbor for advice on my shop's slow season

The neighbor, who ran a hardware store for 40 years, suggested a simple 'Winter Workshop' event that filled my calendar, while the AI report just told me to 'optimize my digital footprint'.

3 comments

3 Comments

wrenh655d ago

Right, like sean_johnson16 said, that local feel is everything. Could an AI ever know that your town's hardware crowd shows up for free coffee and donuts?

sean_johnson168d ago

Exactly. That neighbor knows the local crowd, what they need when it's cold, and how to get them in the door. An AI doesn't know that your town has a bunch of DIY folks looking for winter projects. It just spits out the same "improve SEO" line every other business gets. Real world experience beats a generic report every time.

robertgreen8d ago

Wait, the AI cost HOW much? Five hundred dollars for that generic line about a digital footprint? That's insane. Your neighbor gave you a real, working idea from a lifetime of experience for probably the cost of a cup of coffee. It really shows that sometimes the best help is just local common sense, not some expensive tech buzzword.