What Happened When Researchers Co-Founded a Startup with AI
This Harvard Business Review article examines a bold experiment in which researchers treated AI as a startup co-founder, exploring its role in decision-making, operations, and creativity. Contact Granite Networks to discuss how AI partnerships could shape your future of work strategies.
AI is now being positioned as the first hire in startups, taking on strategic roles such as analyst, designer, and even co-founder. This integration allows founders to move quickly from ideation to execution, avoiding traditional hiring delays and enabling leaner teams.
Benefits of AI in Startups
AI helps clarify organizational needs early on by handling ambiguous tasks and producing tangible outputs. This reframing of hiring decisions allows founders to focus on filling gaps that remain after AI has contributed, transforming AI into an economic lever that drives faster iteration and strategic scaling.
The collaboration involved thirty students divided into teams that explored how work can be reimagined when AI is embedded from day one. They were tasked with breaking traditional workflows and building 'Frontier Firm' companies to investigate the future of human-agent collaboration.

What Happened When Researchers Co-Founded a Startup with AI
published by Granite Networks
Granite Networks was founded in 1998 on the simple premise of providing businesses with IT services and support as solid and dependable as our namesake. We built our business from one referral to the next, counting on our results to inspire our clients to recommend us to others. Since that time, we have consistently earned the trust of our clients by focusing on our clients’ businesses, our clients’ goals, and our clients’ success. Today, Granite Networks has the honor of serving clients including professional service firms, manufacturers, commercial service firms, financial institutions, schools, non-profit agencies, and more.
Imagine your business operating in a world where technology is no longer a hurdle to overcome, but a powerful ally in your journey to success. That’s the world we create for our clients with GranITe Works®.
Designed with precision and a deep understanding of diverse organizational needs, GranITe Works® is not just a service, but a commitment to deliver world-class technology administration. It’s a promise to transform the way you perceive IT costs - predictable, transparent, and scalable.
In essence, we don’t just make IT work - we make IT work for you.® Welcome to a world where technology is your partner in success. Welcome to GranITe Works®.