AI and CEOing in 2026 - Mike Grouchy

I became CEO and, almost overnight, stopped coding. Not because I stopped wanting to, but because the job eats your calendar. The hardest part wasn’t the lack of keys on my keyboard. It was the context switching. Every small task that pulled me away from the work only a CEO can do.

Starting in 2025, AI quietly changed that.

Back to Building, Without Pretending I’m a Full‑Time Engineer

I’m still an engineer at heart. But I’m an executive first. AI gave me a way to build again without pretending I have long, uninterrupted coding blocks.

I can ship small tools, automation, and analysis in short bursts. That matters. It keeps me close to the craft and makes me a better decision‑maker.

The CEO OS: Tools That Remove Friction

Here’s how I’m using AI to keep momentum and protect my attention:

Raycast command generation. I describe a workflow and get a custom command back in seconds. No yak‑shaving. This alone removes a dozen tiny context breaks every week.
Fast data analysis. I drop a CSV into Claude Code or Codex, ask a question, and get an answer plus a script I can keep. It’s the fastest path from curiosity to insight.
Personal tools for annoying edges. The tiny things that steal time now get automated. I keep a growing set of scripts and commands that shave minutes off everything. Those minutes compound into real focus.

None of this is flashy. It’s just leverage.

What Only the CEO Can Do

At a smallish startup, the definition is simple: if everyone else is already doing something, it isn’t mine. If no one is doing it—and it still needs to happen—it is.

That ends up being the hard mix of strategy, hiring, capital, product direction, and the calls no one else wants to make. AI doesn’t replace that. It protects the time needed to do it.

The Engineer’s Mindset Still Wins

AI isn’t magic. It’s still about clear thinking and taste.

I still apply the same rules:

Write less code.
Automate the boring parts.
Keep things simple enough to reason about.

AI just makes it easier to do those things when time is scarce.

What I Actually Build Now

I’m not shipping massive systems. I’m shipping:

Workflows that reduce meetings and status updates
Prototypes for features or systems we’re considering
An autotagger for my emails
A daily briefing that triages email, extracts tasks, and reports company heartbeat (ticket changes, open PRs, pending reviews, and wins: clients, sales, growth)
One‑off analysis scripts that become repeatable
Tiny internal tools that remove context switching

Small, sharp tools that keep the company and me moving faster.

The Real Win

The biggest change isn’t that I’m coding more. It’s that I’m staying organized and focused on high‑value work.

AI is now part of my operating system as a CEO. It turns a dozen “should do that later” tasks into “done” in the moment, without pulling me away for hours.

That’s the shift: I can be an executive, stay close to the craft, and still protect the work only I can do.

✦ Disclosure: I wrote a paragraph or two and a big list of bullet points. AI finished the rest, then I edited for tone and intent.