According to Fortune, Skims founding partner Emma Grede schedules an “AI day” every six weeks where she dedicates time specifically to learning artificial intelligence technologies. The billionaire entrepreneur, who helped launch the shapewear brand with Kim Kardashian in 2019, recently secured $225 million in funding at a $5 billion valuation. Grede told Axios that she’s pushing every woman in her organization to adopt similar learning habits, calling it “do or die” for career survival. She previously offered cash bonuses to employees using AI tools two years ago and was recently inspired by Mark Cuban, who revealed he has 60 AI apps on his phone. A Lightcast report found non-tech roles requiring AI skills now command 28% higher salaries, adding nearly $18,000 annually.
AI-proofing or peer pressure?
Here’s the thing about Grede’s approach: it feels both incredibly smart and slightly panicked. She admits the whole scheduled-learning thing “feels against the very ethos of what feels right” for someone who values human connection. And honestly, doesn’t it sound familiar? Remember when everyone was rushing to learn coding because it was supposedly the new literacy? The “Hour of Code” movement had similar energy – this idea that if you didn’t jump on the bandwagon immediately, you’d be left behind.
The Mark Cuban effect
What’s really interesting is how Grede credits Mark Cuban with giving her “a kick” into taking AI more seriously. She literally said she needed to figure AI out because she was “using AI like a 42-year-old woman.” That comment alone tells you something about the pressure successful people feel to stay relevant. When your billionaire peer shows you he has 60 AI apps on his phone, suddenly your own approach feels inadequate. But is having 60 AI apps actually productive, or just tech hoarding? I’m skeptical.
The cash bonus reality
Grede’s been offering cash bonuses for AI adoption for two years, which honestly sounds more practical than scheduling “AI days.” The marketing and finance teams apparently loved it. And the data backs up her approach – that 28% salary premium for AI skills is no joke. According to KPMG’s CEO Outlook 2025, 77% of CEOs say workforce readiness in AI will majorly impact their business in the next three years. So she’s not wrong about the trend.
Is this sustainable?
Look, I get it. The fear of being left behind is real, especially when you’re running a $5 billion company. But scheduling “AI day” every six weeks feels like treating AI as something separate from your actual work, rather than integrating it naturally. And let’s be honest – how much can you really learn in one day every month and a half? The comparison to the coding wave is telling. Remember when everyone thought we all needed to become programmers? Now we’re seeing the same pattern with AI. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle – yes, AI literacy matters, but no, you don’t need to become an AI expert unless that’s actually your job.
