While I agree, that AI cannot replace the emotional purchasing decision, that point also assumes it cannot contribute to a company’s bottom line.

According to McKinsey’s State of AI report, half of the companies surveyed saw costs drop by 10% to 19% in areas like supply chain, marketing, manufacturing, and HR. Also, 63% of companies saw revenue grow by 10% or more after using AI.

So the AI-induced revenue in the form of lowering overhead costs is replacing the revenue from sales.

The gap between a founder’s expectations and the business results’ reality may not be as wide as you think, but it also depends on an individual founder's goals and expectations.

When it comes to implementing an AI strategy, founders need to set clear goals and realistic expectations from the beginning, lest they, as you said, "end up encouraging laziness, impatience, and founder frustration."