What Shipping with AI Actually Looks Like

People ask if I’m doing model tuning, building agents, writing Python tools, or something else with AI.

I build with AI to move real work. Shipping means a real object changed in a real system. There is a link, an owner, a date, and a small metric that moved. If I can’t point to those, it was practice.

How I Use It

Posts: I use AI to get from idea to draft fast. I keep the voice pass and final edit. Then I publish the same day when it’s ready. Proof is the post URL. The metric is draft-to-done time. My average moved from three to four hours per post to about ninety minutes for most pieces.

Day-to-day tasks: Email, doc review, and doc generation are steady gains. AI drafts clear emails so I can set the ask and deadline. For reviews, I pull risks, questions, and next steps, then assign owners. For new docs, I ask for a one-pager or a table to start structure. Proof is the ticket or thread link. The metric is cycle time to a decision and rework rate.

Media: I shoot matches and events. Volume matters, but taste still wins. AI helps with first-pass selects, captions, and a posting plan. I make the final choices. Proof is a gallery or reel link. The metric is time to deliver and template reuse. Delivery in hours beats delivery in days, and clients notice.

Code: I write intent and constraints. AI drafts scaffolds, tests, and routine glue. I enforce types, patterns, flags, and I own the merges. Proof is the PR and the feature flag. The metric is lead time per change and PR rework rate. Boilerplate drops. Reviews stay focused on design, not syntax.

Staying Honest

I keep a simple ledger. One line per item: object, link, metric, and one note. A post with time saved. A client thread with fewer turns. A gallery delivered faster. A feature merged sooner. The point is traceable work, not vibes.

When I evaluate vendor AI, I ask three things. What exact object changes, and where does it live. What is the approval and rollback path. How do I see lift in my numbers, not theirs. If these answers are vague, I pass.

A Simple Start

Pick one task in each lane. Write the target metric. Use AI on that task every day for two weeks. Log minutes saved and rework. Three metrics are enough: draft-to-done time, lead time per change, and rework rate.

That’s what I mean by shipping with AI. Posts go live. Threads close. Galleries publish. PRs merge. I use AI to start faster, keep pace, and finish more.

Don’t study AI. Use it. One task. Two weeks. Show the proof.