AI is coming for your performance review

You will now be evaluated on your AI literacy. Are you ready?

The performance review is about to change.

Yes, it will still cover your KPIs, completed projects and team contributions.

But there will be a new line item: your AI literacy.

Your AI Literacy will shape your career trajectory. It will impact your compensation.

And this isn’t coming from a McKinsey white paper.

It’s coming from a Fortune 500 CEO.

AI as a force multiplier

Tobi Lutke is the CEO of Shopify — a publicly traded company with a $10 billion market cap.

In his AI Manifesto that was recently leaked to the press, he set a bold AI vision for his employees.

Having AI alongside the journey and increasingly doing not just the consultation, but also doing the work is a mind-blowing step function change here.

Here are 4 takeaways from Lutke’s manifesto and how it will impact your work.

1. AI is a Baseline Expectation for every single employee

Lutke declares that using AI is no longer optional at Shopify — it’s now a core job requirement.

He’s seen it amplify top performers. And those who don’t adapt will fall behind quickly.

Reflexive AI usage is now a baseline expectation at Shopify. Frankly, I don’t think it’s feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI in your craft; you are welcome to try, but I want to be honest I cannot see this working out today, and definitely not tomorrow.”

2. AI needs to become an instinct

Mastering AI is a hands-on skill, learned through trial and error. And not formal training.

Learning to use AI well is an unobvious skill. My sense is that a lot of people give up after writing a prompt and not getting the ideal thing back immediately.

You need to be curious, iterative and the process is messy (ahem, you need to practice Model Jiu Jitsu.)

Lutke describes an instinctive use of AI — so ingrained in daily work that it becomes second nature.

You shouldn’t have to think about “whether” to use AI. Instead, you should instinctively reach for it as a core tool for research, creation, and problem-solving.

3. You must hire an AI before you hire a person

Headcount is now frozen.

That is, unless, you can “demonstrate why [a hiring manager] cannot get what they want done using AI.”

Furthermore, Lutke sees a world where automated agents play a key role in the organization:

What would this area look like if autonomous AI agents were already part of the team?

4. AI will be incorporated throughout the organization

From prototyping to performance reviews, AI will be woven into Shopify’s culture. He wants everyone — execs included — to embrace learning AI and sharing their insights with the broader team.

Learning is self-directed, but share what you learned. We’ll learn and adapt together as a team.

And that applies to everyone in the organization.

Everyone means everyone. This applies to all of us--including me and the executive team.

Yes, but my company’s different

I know what you’re thinking.

This is a forward-thinking CEO of a tech company. This doesn’t apply to my company and my situation.

And if it does, I’m going to have a ton of runway to adapt.

You may be right, but consider this quote:

There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.

Within AI we’ve already seen many weeks where decades happen.

Because of the exponential nature of AI (and the built-in leverage), these weeks are going to be much more frequent.

And if you fall behind, it may get even harder to catch up.

We shall see.

PS If you’re a company looking for AI-training programs for your team please reach out.