CEO Creates AI Fantasy Board of Directors

Serial tech CEO Matt Blumberg has developed an AI agent that simulates a high-level advisory board composed of business legends. The project, which Blumberg calls a "fantasy board of directors," utilizes profiles of figures such as Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett to provide strategic feedback. Blumberg, who leads Markup AI, uses the tool to review board materials and prepare for meetings. However, he emphasizes that the AI lacks the real-world context and human nuances of a traditional board. Despite these limitations, the experiment has proven to be a useful supplement to his actual executive team.

In a move to expand his strategic resources, Matt Blumberg initiated the creation of a virtual boardroom. The process began with a "fantasy draft" similar to sports fantasy leagues. Blumberg and his executive team compiled a list of influential figures, categorizing them into groups such as iconic business leaders, tech CEOs, venture capitalists, authors, and thought leaders.

The team selected approximately 15 individuals to populate the board. The roster includes well-known business titans and cultural voices:

• Warren Buffett
• Steve Jobs
• Oprah Winfrey
• Taylor Swift

To ensure the AI could mimic these personalities accurately, Blumberg instructed the system to generate 5,000-word profiles for each selected individual. These profiles were designed to capture the specific viewpoints and historical statements the real figures have made regarding corporate performance and management.

Once the profiles were established, Blumberg loaded them into an AI agent along with a comprehensive instruction set detailing his company's operations. The system was also fed proprietary data, including materials from past board meetings and quarterly business review decks. The entire setup process reportedly took only one to two hours.

Blumberg utilizes the fantasy board as a regular thought partner. Common interactions include:

• Reviewing draft board books to identify missing topics.
• Predicting questions the human board might ask.
• Generating themes for internal presentations.
• Conducting performance reviews.

For example, when Blumberg requested a performance review for 2025, the AI provided an assessment that his executive team found impressive and accurate. The agent is configured to provide a consensus opinion alongside notable dissenting views, quoting the specific "views" of the virtual board members.

Despite the utility of the tool, Blumberg identifies two major limitations inherent to the technology. The first is the dependency on input data; the agent only knows what it has been told or what is publicly available. It lacks awareness of daily occurrences within the company, limiting its contextual understanding.

The second limitation is the lack of human presence. Blumberg notes that real board meetings involve body language, facial expressions, and the ability to read the room—cues that AI cannot replicate. He warns that users must be careful not to "believe the bullshit," acknowledging that while AI is predictive and helpful, it is not perfect and misses critical human signals.

Blumberg introduced the concept to his actual human board of directors in November, shortly after building the agent. The reception was positive; the board viewed the AI as a "nice add-on" and a form of augmentation rather than a replacement for human advisory.

Following the demonstration, several board members requested a roadmap to build a similar tool for their own use. This reaction reinforces Blumberg's view that the fantasy board serves as a valuable supplement to traditional governance, providing additional strategic perspective without replacing the essential human element of leadership.