The Most Impactful Technology I’ve Ever Used (And No, It’s Not AI)

#AI is getting all the hype right now. Apparently, it’s going to change the world, replace jobs, and maybe even write better LinkedIn posts than me. But when I look back at everything major I’ve accomplished, every deal closed, every investment secured, every time I somehow convinced people I knew what I was talking about, one tool has been at the centre of it all.

And it’s not AI, it’s not automation, and it’s definitely not whatever new SaaS tool a salesperson just in-mailed me about.

It’s good old PowerPoint (or Keynote)

Billions of Dollars Started With a Slide Deck

Forget AI-generated content and automated sales sequences. The real deals, the ones that actually shape industries and careers, don’t start with machine learning. They start with a deck.

Every company pitch, every boardroom showdown, every moment where I’ve had to stand in front of a group of decision-makers and make them believe in my vision has been powered by PowerPoint.

Every investor meeting? A deck.

Every strategic sales pitch? A deck.

Every big idea that seemed questionable at first but somehow got buy-in? Definitely a deck.

PowerPoint is where ideas stop being just thoughts and start becoming something tangible. It forces you to clarify your thinking, sharpen your message, and make sure your audience sees the value in what you’re offering.

Why PowerPoint Still Wins

PowerPoint is undefeated because, unlike AI, it actually gets people to care about what you’re saying.

It forces clarity. There’s no room for rambling when you have to fit an idea onto a slide. If you can’t explain it concisely, you probably don’t understand it well enough.

It’s the ultimate storytelling tool. Humans don’t invest in ideas, they invest in stories. A good deck isn’t just bullet points on a screen, it’s a structured narrative with a problem, a villain, a hero, and a resolution.

It opens doors. Fancy tools don’t get you into the room. A compelling deck does. It’s your passport to conversations that actually matter.

It closes deals. I’ve seen PowerPoint decks turn skeptics into believers, reshape entire negotiations, and convince people to spend millions.

It has shaped how I think. The discipline of structuring a great deck has trained my brain to simplify, refine, and sell ideas in a way that lands.

AI Isn’t Even Close (yet)

AI is neat. It can generate content, automate tasks, and probably remind me to send follow-up emails I’ll still forget to send. But it can’t tell a great story. It can’t structure a persuasive argument. It can’t read a room and adjust a pitch in real time.

AI is a tool. PowerPoint is the tool.

The Takeaway

Everyone’s chasing the next shiny piece of tech, but the biggest deals, the biggest investments, and the biggest career moves still start with a PowerPoint deck.

Mastering PowerPoint isn’t just about making slides look pretty. It’s about learning how to sell ideas, communicate value, and shape the way people think. It’s one of the most valuable skills you can develop.

So if you’re looking for world-changing technology, don’t get distracted by AI. It’s been sitting on your desktop this whole time.