Staying Sane in the Age of AI: How to Respond in an Uncertain Future

Author

Benjamin Friedman
February 17, 2026

Morning beehiivcommunity!

This newsletter turns experience into actionable lessons for your startup. As a growth partner for visionary founders, we sharpen leadership skills and unlock growth potential.

AI is Our Generation’s Existential Crisis: Here’s How to Live With It

It’s hard not to be afraid right now. AI is our generation's existential crisis, and most of us are quietly asking: "What does this mean for my life and work?"

An effective approach for staying sane and constructive in the age of AI includes naming our fears, staying grounded in the present, learning enough to understand (not obsess), running small experiments, and practicing gratitude so we don't drown in worst-case scenarios.

We can't control how fast AI is moving, but we can control how we respond. The post includes examples of startups that survived previous crises and some potential companies built on "human + tech" solutions.

You can read the full piece in this week’s full blog post HERE.

Go Wide: A Life Less Curated explores how major historical events have shaped today’s world and what they might signal about the future. Do you agree? What else should we dive into? Share your thoughts at [email protected].

Picture by Leah Friedman

Profit and Purpose: Building Impactful, Resilient, AND Lucrative Businesses

What if your values weren’t a “nice to have,” but the very reason your business outperforms the market? ​Join leaders who are turning mission into their strongest growth strategy and proving you never have to trade impact for returns.

On March 4 at 6 pm in NYC, hear candid stories about hard tradeoffs, failed experiments, and the surprising ways purpose can strengthen unit economics. 

Panelists:

Moderator, Benjamin Friedman, President of Build Scale Grow and Managing Director of the New York Tech CFO Group.

Sponsor: As a founder, time is precious. Withum’s Outsourced Accounting Systems & Services (OASyS) delivers a stress‑free, fully managed finance and accounting solution so you can scale with confidence.

Event kindly supported by Carl Eppers.

For practical ideas and useful connections to improve your understanding of business strategy, financial metrics, and fundraising, register HERE.

Expert Tips for Startups

Table: A Trusted Workplace for Startup Solutions

Since 2019, Table has gathered over 1,200 founders, advisors, and investors to collaborate and solve problems.

Each session, participants present topics to discuss, then vote on what to dig into. Every five minutes, we choose to stay on topic or move on. That pace keeps everyone engaged and makes sure the conversation turns into insight. Together, we discover proven tactics, useful resources, and new ways of solving problems. 

There's a seat waiting for you at the Table. Register for our next event on February 25th at 9 am HERE.

Foley Hoag kindly sponsors this event. Contact Chip Korn for any legal questions. We meet monthly in NYC with new Tables setting up in Raleigh, NC, and Chicago, IL.

Cube [Sponsor]

Cube is the workflow-native FP&A platform that powers financial intelligence right where you work. No new code to learn, no rebuilding your models from scratch. Stay in the driver's seat, move faster, eliminate manual work, and deliver insights with confidence.


Cube is a proud sponsor of our event, CFOs and the Board: Finance Leaders at the Center of Strategy and Scrutiny, happening on February 25. Panelists from both the investor and CFO sides will discuss how finance leaders can become true architects of long-term value.

Need Some Help?

What if the quietest person in the room is the one who changes the world?

Build Scale Grow provides expert strategies and clear metrics for social impact, EdTech, and health tech startups, with a focus on introverted founders. With five successful M&As in ten years, we’ll help your startup reach its full potential and beyond.

Book a free 30-minute call HERE to see how we can help.