On learning, trying and keeping direction towards an AI-first work environment
“We’re going to work AI-first.” That sentence falls somewhere midway through a Management Team call in March 2025. Everyone nods as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Me too I notice. But meanwhile, I’m thinking, “AI-first, what does that mean?”
I work in marketing and communications at a fast-growing B2B SaaS organization. Branding, positioning, marketing strategy – that’s my area. Not training models or building prompt chains. At that point, AI still feels like something of tech colleagues. But to be honest: I know it touches my world too. I just don’t know how to shape it yet.
Just, start.
I just decide to start somewhere. Prompt in, blog out. The result is so flat it makes me laugh. Still, I see something of potential. A structure building and handy hooks that I hadn’t thought of myself before I asked ChatGPT. So I’ll keep trying.
I let one of my marketing colleagues read it. She appears to be much further along. She shows me what she does with AI in her work: SEO research, generating copy variations, content planning. She explains, shares her prompts, gives context. No “look at me,” just open: this works for me, maybe for you too?
I am learning an awful lot in a few weeks. And I notice: this is exactly what is needed. At a stage when no one has the complete overview, it is worth a lot when you learn together.
We ask all our marketing colleagues within Blinqx what they already have in use, what they are still missing, and what tools they have tried but are not (yet) excited about. What would help us as a team in terms of paid tools so we can purchase them to experiment further.
From experimentation to sharing
In a few weeks, AI grows into something we deal with on a daily basis. In the beginning, we mostly talk about tools (“Do you already know these?”), but soon we’re talking about bigger questions. If AI co-writes your brand story, is it still your voice? What does “personal contact” mean when a chatbot is your first point of contact? Where do we as a team draw the line between automating and remaining authentic?
We have those conversations within our marketing discipline, but also with colleagues in other departments. Sometimes lighthearted, other times critical. But always with the understanding: no one knows everything, and that’s okay. If we keep sharing what we learn, we stay sharp.
So we are launching a “Thank God It’s FrAIday” session every month for all our marketing colleagues. A place where everyone can share their experiments. What works. What doesn’t. Which tool is surprisingly good, and which is promptly a total failure. Simply: discovering together and getting better.
AI-first is not knowing, but daring
The penny at Blinqx has long since dropped: Going AI-first is not an IT project. It’s your entire organization. And we as marketing & communications colleagues can play a key role in that. Not because we master the technology perfectly, but because we can drive the conversation about it. Successes and learnings we can tell to the whole organization. Being able to make things tangible. Dare to name when something is exciting, messy or not yet clear. And because, as marketers, we’re just naturally very curious about what’s going on.
And no, I am far from knowing everything. Nor will I. Thankfully, I don’t. But I am trying. I learn from others. I ask questions, preferably of people smarter or further along with AI than I am. And I share what I discover myself. Because it might help someone else look at the same thing differently. Keep experimenting, learning and sharing; that’s how you become AI-first.
Check out the latest Blinqx developments around AI here .
Frequently asked questions about AI-first working in your organization
What does it mean if an organization wants to become “AI-first”?
AI-first means using AI not as an extra tool, but as a starting point for how you work, innovate and deliver value. It is not just about technology, but about a mindset: dare to experiment, learn from each other and integrate AI step by step into your daily work.
Is AI-first only something for tech teams or developers?
Definitely not. AI touches ALL disciplines within your organization; from marketing and HR to finance and operations. Especially teams outside IT play a key role in translating AI into concrete customer experience, communication and process improvement.
How do you start AI literacy in your team?
Start small. Let people experiment with tools like ChatGPT. Organize sessions where you share experiences. Ask questions: what works, what doesn’t, what do we still want to learn? At Blinqx, for example, we do this with monthly ‘AI in marketing’ meetings: informal, educational and approachable.
How do you prevent AI-first working from being limited to tech?
By actively sharing what works. Show colleagues which prompts produce results in your daily work. Provide context for successes as well as failures. Consciously ask about the experiences of colleagues who are less likely to turn to AI. Becoming AI-first is something you bring your entire organization into.
