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Key Takeaways Every AI dollar you spend has to defend the same free cash flow number we promised shareholders.
The AI systems we build to untangle our own data are a proving ground for the products our merchants need, because their sprawl looks like ours, with fewer resources to fix it.
I picked an interesting time to return to my company as CEO.
I came back in early 2024 with a mission: rebuild our tech business around profitable growth. That shift was part of a broader trend in which companies from Netflix to Meta to Peloton shifted focus from growth and revenue at any cost to profitability.
My return, after stepping back for two years, also coincided with the rapid rise of large language models. The business world had changed during my absence, and it was changing faster every day.
I’d founded the company in 2005, so I was no stranger to tech upheavals. I knew that AI would have to play a central role in our transformation. But I also saw a disconnect. Too many companies were throwing money at AI, with little apparent regard for the bottom line.
We had to invest. But we needed discipline. How could I stay fiscally responsible, lead the business to profitability and make sure AI created real value for our customers and us?
Here’s what I’ve learned about finding the right balance.
1. Put profitability first
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