I want to try AI without creating more work
"The tool said it would save time. It brought a setup guide and three new tabs."
Do this
Run one 12-minute test on something you already do every week.
Most AI tools get judged on a demo, which is the least honest way to judge anything. A demo is built to work. Your actual Tuesday is not. The only fair test is running the tool on a task you already have to do anyway, with a stopwatch, and a rule for when to quit.
Twelve minutes is enough time to get a real output and still notice if you're fighting the tool more than it's helping you. If the fix takes longer than the task would've taken by hand, that's your answer.
Here's what it looks like filled in
Task: summarizing my weekly team meeting notes
Timer: 12 minutes, starting now
Input I gave it: the raw meeting transcript
Output I got: a five-bullet summary, mostly right, missed one action item
Would I send this to my team without fixing it? No — needed one addition, 90 seconds
Verdict: keep. The fix was fast enough that it still beat doing it by hand.
Your turn — copy the template
Task: _______________ (something you already do weekly) Timer: 12 minutes, starting now Input I gave it: _______________ Output I got: _______________ Would I send this out without fixing it? Y / N Keep it if the fix takes under 5 minutes. Ditch it if you're still fixing it after 12.
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