Why I paid for an AI

At the risk of sounding like a hypocritical arse… the other day I decided to buy a month of Manus AI, a ChatGPT rip-off that may or may not have the same features and capabilities as ChatGPT itself. 

I needed a spreadsheet task completed… and I needed it completed quickly. 

Now, I am far from a spreadsheet expert. Besides making a filter, I have to google how to do anything in a spreadsheet. And so, I wanted Manus to go through, double check the content of the spreadsheet, then color code it for me. 

It did a well enough job. Only problem is, I instantly ran out of credits - and Manus only did 50 lines of my 500-line spreadsheet. And so, I decided what the hay, and shelled out $19 for it to finish the task. 

I haven’t needed the AI so far… but I have a couple of ideas that may or may not justify the $19 monthly fee. 

What I think is far more interesting than finally paying for an AI is my emotional state to choose Manus over ChatGPT since I’ve used the latter more frequently and had just heard about Manus the other day. 

For example: 

* One of the “features” of Manus is that it doesn’t complete your task immediately like ChatGPT does. In fact, after you prompt it, it gives you status updates - almost like it’s thinking - and takes far longer to spit out an answer than ChatGPT does. 

(This “thinking out loud” feature of Manus, whether intentional or not, hijacks human emotions. Humans appreciate when things take blood, sweat, and tears. It’s why I usually sit on my copy for a day or two after editing it before delivering it to a client: It seems like I put in more effort, more blood, sweat, and tears, and it actually raises my perceived value with clients. Same thing Manus is doing here. This is one reason why I went with Manus over the more familiar ChatGPT.) 

* Manus got me at the right time. 

(Had I not had a 500-line spreadsheet that would’ve become the bane of my existence had I “hired” myself instead of Manus, I probably would’ve let it slip through the cracks. Plus, I did an A/B test between Manus and ChatGPT, and I found Manus’s work to better - but I also realize this may be 100% due to the fact that Manus uses the “thinking out loud” feature.”) 

* Plus, Manus’s credits seemed to take longer to refill (for free) than ChatGPT. 

(I was on a deadline with this spreadsheet project, so I wanted to be done with it sooner rather than later. Mayhap I could’ve waited a few hours and let ChatGPT do it for free… but I was more interested in speed than in $19.) 

And perhaps the most important observation of all?

* Free doesn’t sell. 

Let me expand on this one outside of parentheses: 

The single biggest, revenue-obliterating lie parroted by marketing gurus for all innocent business owners to believe is this idea that if they offer enough great value for free people will be sprinting to their banks to pay you actual money. 

This couldn’t be further from the truth for several reasons:

1. People don’t appreciate free - not only does it devalue your business (and whatever you sell), but it also makes them angry when you try to sell them. 

2. Why would anyone pay for something when you can get it for free? If it’s the same service or content… it’s actually a terrible investment to pay for something you don’t have to. 

3. People like buying - they just don’t like being sold to. The reason the “goodwill approach” (where you offer your “best stuff for free” Gary Vee style) is so attractive is because most people don’t like selling. It makes them uncomfortable. It opens them up for criticism. And they can’t believe their own made-up story about being a “good guy” if they sell because, well, who’s worse than a sleazy salesman? 

But when you take away people’s option to buy - something they actually enjoy doing - then you take away the dopamine or potential-for-dopamine that we all get when we buy something. 

And most of all? 

4. Offering stuff for free is needy behavior - and nothing scares away potential customers like neediness. How is it needy? Because it requires you to protect your ego (who wants to be a “good guy” who creates something so great that people happily fork over all their money without so much as being asked) at the expense of your business, goals, and happiness. 

Short story long:

These are some of the observations I had after buying an AI I barely used (and didn’t purchase the AI I had previously used). 

Many lessons in this one if’n you’re wise enough to see ‘em. 

Anywho:

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Hit reply, and let’s chat. 

John