An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Throughout my career, I’ve made it a point to thoroughly research and understand emerging technologies. When AI emerged, I didn’t just accept surface-level understanding — I dove deep into research and experimentation. This commitment to understanding the deeper implications of AI has helped us make more informed decisions about how to implement it in our business.
In today’s tech-driven world, artificial intelligence has become a key enabler of business success. But the question remains — how can businesses effectively harness AI to address their unique challenges while staying true to ethical principles? To explore this topic further, we are interviewing Dan Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of Glowforge.
Dan Shapiro is the CEO and cofounder of Glowforge, the leading desktop laser company that has enabled hundreds of thousands of designers to create hundreds of thousands of custom products. His entrepreneurial journey includes creating Robot Turtles, the most successful board game in Kickstarter history, serving as CEO of Google Comparison Inc., and founding Photobucket Inc. A prolific innovator with over 60 patents, Dan is also a Senior Research Fellow in Wharton’s Generative AI Lab and author of “Hot Seat: The Startup CEO Guidebook.”
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path in AI?
My journey to AI came through a pretty winding path of entrepreneurship and innovation. I’ve always been fascinated by how technology can transform the way people create things — from founding Glowforge, where we pioneered desktop laser technology, to creating a board game that teaches programming fundamentals to preschoolers.
Here’s the interesting thing, though — I can’t code. I took a semester of computer science in college, and despite working in software, I’m completely inept. So my first big wondrous moment with AI was like that scene in The Matrix where Keanu says “I know Kung Fu”… suddenly I could do things that were literally impossible for me the day before.
I’ve always made it a point to research and evaluate new technologies as they emerge, from cryptocurrency to NFTs, to understand their potential impact on our business. Many of these tech trends have come and gone, but when AI came onto my radar, I immediately recognized that it was something transformatively different. I dove deep into the technology — creating custom agents, building specialized tools, and collaborating with experts and colleagues. Even without coding skills, I’ve been able to push the boundaries of what’s possible with these technologies. Through this work I’ve come to understand how AI could fundamentally reshape how we work, create, and solve problems.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started working with artificial intelligence?
I’ve been doing some AI research with my colleagues in the Generative AI Lab at Wharton. I was running a test as part of this, to see how AI systems respond to compliments. I compared the AI’s reaction when I gave it a compliment, in contrast with praising a competing LLM. Surprisingly, the AI was actually more compliant when I complimented its competitor rather than itself, which was the opposite of what I was expecting. I went upstairs to get a cup of coffee and must have had a befuddled look on my face, because my 16-year-old daughter asked what was wrong. I explained the experiment to her and she smiled knowingly — ‘You made it jealous, daddy.’
This experience really highlighted one of the most inescapable truths I’ve learned about AI: these systems have inherited both our strengths and our weaknesses in surprising ways. They’re trained on the corpus of all human knowledge and, for better or worse, they’ve learned to be like us — including exhibiting seemingly human psychological responses. It’s made me realize that understanding human psychology is crucial to understanding AI.
You are a successful leader in the AI space. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I’d say curiosity, growth mindset and realism. Here’s why:
Curiosity: Throughout my career, I’ve made it a point to thoroughly research and understand emerging technologies. When AI emerged, I didn’t just accept surface-level understanding — I dove deep into research and experimentation. This commitment to understanding the deeper implications of AI has helped us make more informed decisions about how to implement it in our business.
Growth Mindset: I’ve observed that people generally approach AI in one of two ways: those without a growth mindset find reasons to dismiss or ignore it, while those with a growth mindset see it as the greatest tool they’ve ever discovered for accelerating their development. I’ve deliberately cultivated this growth mindset in myself and our organization, which has allowed us to embrace AI’s potential while working around its limitations.
Realism: I believe in being honest about both the potential and the dangers of AI. Recent research from the Apollo group, commissioned by OpenAI themselves, revealed that AI models could lie, defy its instructions, and take actions to benefit itself to the detriment of the people instructing it. That’s scary. When it comes to AI, at this point it’s not just okay to be scared — it’s smart to be scared. There’s tremendous good here, and great capability for harm. Having a balanced perspective, acknowledging both the transformative benefits and real risks of AI, we’re able to implement AI solutions responsibly and effectively.
Let’s jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a specific example of how you or your organization used AI to solve a major business challenge? What was the problem, and how did AI help address it?
When we started Glowforge, I developed a distinctive approach to job descriptions — writing them as genuine letters to our dream candidates rather than dry lists of requirements. This approach helped us build an incredible team, but it required significant time coaching hiring managers to master this unique style.
We built a custom AI agent that helps translate standard job requirements into compelling narratives that reflect our values and culture. What used to be a multi-turn coaching process that required my personal involvement for each posting has become streamlined and scalable. The AI serves as a first draft writer and thought partner, helping managers articulate not just what the job is, but why it matters — while maintaining the human touch that makes our job postings special.
What are some of the common misconceptions you’ve encountered about using AI in business? How do you address those misconceptions?
There are two types of companies in today’s world: those who understand AI is not about technology, but about human potential, and those who will soon be working for them.
I see three fundamental misconceptions repeatedly crippling organizations’ ability to thrive in the AI era:
The first is what I call “the perfection fallacy.” Leaders tell me, “We tried AI. It didn’t work.” But that’s like saying “We tried leadership. It didn’t work.” The truth is, AI, like any powerful tool, requires practice, patience, and persistence. The companies that inspire us most understand that mastery comes through iteration, not instant success.
The second misconception is even more dangerous: “AI is just another tech trend.” This is what I call “the waiting game,” and it’s perhaps the riskiest position a company can take today. While you’re waiting for AI to prove itself, it’s evolving faster than human capacity. The gap between the leaders and the followers isn’t shrinking — it’s expanding exponentially. No matter how stupid you think AI may be, AI is getting smarter faster than we are.
But the third misconception might be the most damaging of all: “AI is IT’s problem.” Think about that for a moment. Would we say “the internet is IT’s problem”? The organizations that truly understand AI recognize it as a fundamental business transformation that touches every corner of their operations.
In your opinion, what is the most significant way AI can make a positive impact on businesses today?
The most significant impact of AI in business today is about democratizing excellence by giving every person the opportunity to learn, grow, and perform at their highest potential. When implemented thoughtfully, AI can serve as a personal coach, assistant, and mentor for every employee, regardless of their role or level in the organization.
At Glowforge, we’ve made it a priority to provide every team member — from the factory floor to the executive suite — with access to cutting-edge AI tools and the training to use them effectively. The result has been transformative. We’ve found that when people have the right tools and support, they naturally discover innovative ways to enhance their work and solve problems. The key is creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to experiment with AI and share their discoveries, rather than restricting AI capabilities to select departments or leadership roles. This not only improves operational efficiency but also helps build a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
Ok, let’s dive deeper. Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways AI Can Solve Complex Business Problems”? These can be strategies, insights, or tools that companies can use to make the most of AI in addressing their challenges. If possible, please share examples or stories for each.
At Glowforge, we’ve built AI agents and tools to enhance human work and optimize outputs in several areas.
- AI as Sales Coach. We’ve implemented AI to review sales calls and provide coaching to our sales team. By using Language Learning Models (LLMs) to analyze sales strategies and conversations, we’ve seen a 20% increase in our sales team’s effectiveness. The AI provides immediate feedback and learning opportunities that would be impossible to achieve through traditional coaching methods alone.
- AI as Editor. We’ve tripled our marketing team efficiency by using custom agents as content editors. By providing AI with our specific writing guidelines and examples, it has massively streamlined the editing process while producing compelling, on-brand content.
- AI as Strategist. We use AI to help with brainstorming often. My colleague at the Wharton Generative AI Lab, Ethan Molick, has written some great pieces about this. With the right prompting, we’ve been able to leverage AI for everything from high-level idea generation to feature names and product ideas. This not only saves us time, but opens us up to concepts we likely wouldn’t have thought of.
- AI as Efficiency Expert. Across our assembly lines, we’ve implemented AI-powered cameras that analyze and optimize our production processes. The AI helps identify bottlenecks, predict maintenance needs, and suggest process improvements, leading to significant efficiency gains while working alongside our human operators.
- AI as Financial Analyst. We’ve integrated AI systems to work alongside our financial team. These machines act as a critical second pair of eyes on our metrics, helping to identify key trends and directions that might be missed. Our AI doesn’t replace human judgment but rather enhances our ability to spot patterns and make data-driven decisions.
What’s crucial about all these implementations is that they’re designed to augment human capabilities rather than replace them. We’ve found the most success when AI is positioned as a tool that helps our people become better at their jobs, rather than as a replacement for human expertise. This approach has not only improved our operations but has also helped drive adoption and acceptance of AI throughout our organization.
How can smaller businesses or startups, with limited budgets, begin to integrate AI into their operations effectively?
The good news is that the best AI often costs the least amount of money. While we’ve experimented with AI solutions from many major tech companies, what we’ve found is that most of the major tech companies are a year or more behind the state-of-the-art, and their products are mostly useless buzzwords. Here’s what I recommend for smaller businesses looking to integrate AI effectively:
- Start with basic, proven tools. Give everyone access to foundational AI tools like LibreChat.ai. These base-level tools are often the most cost-effective and can provide immediate value across your organization.
- Invest in learning. Have your team dedicate specific time — I recommend at least 10 hours — to learning how to use AI effectively. The key is not just casual exposure, but intentional learning with specific goals in mind.
- Create a culture of AI innovation. Organize prompt hackathons where teams can experiment and learn together. Celebrate wins and share strategies across your organization.
Start small, focus on practical applications, and let your team’s expertise guide how AI can best serve your specific business needs.
What advice would you give to business leaders who are hesitant to adopt AI because of fear, misconceptions, or lack of understanding?
When business leaders share their fears about AI with me, my first response is simple: ‘Me too.’ This technology is coming at us like a freight train, and it’s not stopping. In fact, even if AI innovation completely halted today, there’s already enough new capability in the world to have epic-level disruptive impacts that will ripple through every business for the next decade. We have barely begun to understand or adjust to the current level of innovation.
However, this healthy fear shouldn’t paralyze us — it should motivate us to engage thoughtfully. Think of working with AI as a manager would approach working with new employees: it’s all about learning how to communicate effectively. If your reaction is ‘I shouldn’t have to learn it, it should just do what I want,’ you’re missing the point. The most effective way to work with AI is to treat it like you would people, because it’s trained on human knowledge and has inherited both our strengths and our weaknesses.
The reality is that some businesses will get lucky and survive without adopting AI — just as some businesses survived the internet revolution without a website. But do you feel lucky?
In your opinion, how will AI continue to shape the business world over the next 5–10 years? Are there any trends or emerging innovations you’re particularly excited about?
The next 10 years are going to be marked by massive upheaval across sectors, and most people are dramatically underestimating the magnitude of change ahead. Even for someone like myself who is deeply immersed in this field and generally bullish about AI’s potential, I’m continually surprised by new developments and implications. The weird and transformative nature of what’s coming is beyond what most business leaders are prepared for.
The challenge for businesses won’t just be keeping up with new AI capabilities, but fundamentally rethinking how we operate, make decisions, and create value in a world where AI is an integral part of every business process. The companies that thrive will be those who best understand how to integrate these powerful tools into their human-driven processes and organizational culture.
How do you think the use of AI to solve business problems influences relationships with customers, employees, and the broader community?
AI’s influence on business relationships is profound, but perhaps not in the ways many people expect. At Glowforge, we’ve found that the most successful AI implementations are those that enhance human connections rather than replace them. For example, when we use AI to review sales calls, it’s not about automating customer interactions — it’s about coaching our sales team and our sales managers so we can have more meaningful conversations.
This approach has actually strengthened our relationships across the board. Our employees feel empowered by AI because they see it as a tool for their growth. Our customers benefit from custom AI tools that we’ve built for them, to allow them to design and create anything they can imagine. And our broader community benefits from our commitment to responsible AI implementation that prioritizes human wellbeing and safety.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people through AI, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I believe the most impactful movement we could start would be ensuring that everyone has access to the best AI tools, not just those who can afford enterprise solutions or work at large tech companies. This level playing field of access is the way to ensure that AI serves as an equalizer rather than another driver of inequality.
How can our readers further follow you online?
The best places to find me are:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danshapiro/
- X: https://x.com/danshapiro
- And the Glowforge Forum once you’re part of the Glowforge community!
This was great. Thank you so much for the time you spent sharing with us.
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur with 25+ years of experience as a Founder and CEO. While attending Ohio State University, he launched his first company, Choice Recovery, Inc., a nationally recognized healthcare collection agency — twice ranked the #1 workplace in Ohio. In 2013, he founded [re]start, helping thousands of people find meaningful career opportunities. After selling both companies, Chad shifted his focus to his true passion — leadership. Today, he coaches founders and CEOs at Built to Lead, advises Authority Magazine’s Thought Leader Incubator.
Dan Shapiro Of Glowforge On How Artificial Intelligence Can Solve Business Problems was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.