Tristan Handy, chief executive of data-transformation specialist dbt Labs, told staff that the most valuable impact of artificial intelligence is its power to boost creativity as well as efficiency. Within 24 hours the engineering team delivered a new feature using an end-to-end AI development loop, while a colleague saved more than 20 minutes per new customer by using Claude to generate onboarding scripts. Another employee replaced half an hour of manual Slack scanning with an AI-produced daily summary of the company's 30+ channels.
Why the shift in thinking matters
Handy says many leaders focus on AI as a cost-cutting tool, but he believes that mindset overlooks the technology's capacity to generate new ideas and revenue streams. In a recent Deloitte survey of 660 technology executives, 79% said delivering measurable business outcomes will be a top priority by 2026. Yet a McKinsey analysis of almost 2,000 firms found that those that paired efficiency goals with growth and innovation objectives derived the greatest overall benefit.
From bottom-line savings to top-line growth
"Are you trying to measure the upside that you get from AI as a cost-cutting measure, or as a revenue-enhancing measure?" Handy asked. He argues that while cost reductions are easy to quantify, revenue-driven AI projects demand creative thinking, new products, novel operating models and rapid experimentation.
"In a business context, you're not creative because you want to sell novels," Handy said. "You're creative because you want to come up with better ideas to drive the metrics that you're accountable to."
How dbt Labs is putting the idea into practice
During a recent meeting about the company's data-lake product, executives could not recall why the top 20 customers chose the solution. Handy prompted an internal AI agent, linked to quantitative data and sales call transcripts, to investigate in real time. Within minutes the agent returned a list of reasons, allowing the team to explore the insight immediately rather than postponing it.
Handy sees the benefit not in the minutes saved but in the ability to keep the conversation moving forward, turning a routine query into a creative brainstorming session. By shortening task cycles, dbt Labs can present more ideas to customers, gather feedback faster and improve both quantity and quality of output.
What comes next for the company
Handy plans to embed AI across more of dbt Labs' workflows, using the technology as a catalyst for iterative product development and market expansion. The aim is a steady rise in both output and standards, rather than a one-off surge of production. As AI continues to lower the cost of experimentation, the firm expects to launch new features that address emerging customer needs, turning efficiency gains into tangible growth.