Key Takeaways
What You'll Learn From This Workshop
Strategic Thinking with AI
Move beyond basic prompts and chatbots to use AI as a genuine thought partner for high-stakes business decisions and long-term strategy.
Competitive Analysis
Use AI to conduct deep competitive intelligence — mapping market landscapes, identifying blind spots, and uncovering opportunities your competitors miss.
Decision Frameworks
Build structured decision-making frameworks powered by AI — weigh trade-offs, stress-test assumptions, and arrive at better decisions faster.
Scenario Planning
Run multiple "what if" scenarios simultaneously — let AI help you war-game strategies, model outcomes, and prepare for market shifts before they happen.
Risk Assessment
Leverage AI to identify risks you haven't considered, stress-test your plans against worst-case scenarios, and build more resilient strategies.
Executive-Level AI Use Cases
Practical examples of how CEOs and executives are using AI for board prep, investor communications, M&A analysis, and strategic planning sessions.
Workshop Summary
What We Covered
A detailed breakdown of every topic discussed in this session.
Click any timestamp to jump to that section in the video.
Introduction: Beyond the Chatbot
Mike opens by explaining why most business leaders are underusing AI — treating it as a glorified search engine instead of a strategic thinking partner. He sets the vision for what's possible when you approach AI as a co-strategist rather than a tool.
- Why "prompting AI" is the wrong mental model for strategic work
- The difference between asking AI questions and thinking with AI
- What attendees will be able to do differently after this session
From Chatbot to Thought Partner
A deep dive into the mindset shift required to use AI strategically. Mike walks through the progression from simple Q&A to multi-turn strategic dialogues where AI challenges your assumptions, surfaces blind spots, and helps you think more rigorously.
- The "thinking partner" framework: how to structure strategic AI conversations
- Why longer, iterative sessions produce dramatically better strategic output
- Live example: turning a vague business challenge into a structured strategy
Competitive Intelligence with AI
Mike demonstrates how to use AI for competitive analysis that goes far beyond basic research. He shows techniques for mapping competitive landscapes, identifying emerging threats, and uncovering market opportunities using AI-powered analysis frameworks.
- Building a competitive intelligence brief with AI in under 30 minutes
- How to use AI to analyze competitor strategies from public data
- Identifying market gaps and white-space opportunities
- Setting up ongoing competitive monitoring with AI
Decision-Making Frameworks
This section covers structured decision-making with AI — using frameworks like weighted decision matrices, pre-mortems, and devil's advocate sessions. Mike shows how AI can pressure-test your thinking in ways that colleagues or advisors often won't.
- The AI-powered pre-mortem: finding failure points before you commit
- Weighted decision matrices: letting AI help you quantify trade-offs
- Devil's advocate mode: using AI to challenge your strongest assumptions
- When to trust AI analysis vs. when to override it
Scenario Planning & War-Gaming
Mike walks through how to use AI for scenario planning — running multiple "what if" simulations to stress-test strategies against different market conditions, competitor moves, and economic environments.
- Building scenario models with AI: best-case, worst-case, and wildcards
- War-gaming competitive responses to your strategic moves
- How to use AI to prepare for board meetings and investor conversations
Risk Assessment & Mitigation
An honest look at using AI to identify and mitigate risks. Mike covers how to systematically surface risks you haven't considered, evaluate their likelihood and impact, and build contingency plans — all with AI as your analytical partner.
- AI-powered risk registers: identifying risks you'd normally miss
- Quantifying risk impact with scenario-based analysis
- Building mitigation strategies and trigger-based contingency plans
Building a Strategic AI Practice
Mike outlines how to make strategic AI thinking a repeatable discipline — not a one-off experiment. He shares a framework for integrating AI into your regular strategic planning cadence.
- Weekly, monthly, and quarterly strategic AI rituals
- How to build a "strategy library" of AI-assisted analyses
- Getting your leadership team to adopt AI-powered strategic thinking
Q&A & Next Steps
Mike takes audience questions on topics ranging from AI tool selection to industry-specific strategic applications. The session wraps with actionable next steps for implementing AI as a strategic thought partner in your own business.
- Which AI tools are best for strategic thinking vs. operational tasks
- How to handle confidential strategic data with AI tools
- Resources for continued learning and practice
Your Host
Mike Schwarz
CEO, MyZone AI
Mike Schwarz has helped over 100 businesses implement AI-powered operations. A former CTO turned AI strategist, he brings a builder's perspective to every workshop — showing real tools, real workflows, and real results. His workshops are known for cutting through the hype and delivering actionable strategies that teams can implement immediately.
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