How to catch a monkey or the secret to letting go

Ever Heard of the Monkey Trap?

It’s a classic. Picture this: in some parts of the world, hunters catch monkeys with a simple trick. They put a tempting piece of fruit inside a small jar, fixed firmly to the ground. The opening is just big enough for the monkey to slip its hand in. The monkey reaches in, grabs the fruit, but—here’s the kicker—it can’t pull its hand out while holding the fruit. And instead of letting go and freeing itself, it clings tighter, determined to keep the prize.

It’s a trap of its own making. The monkey could be free in an instant if it just let go. But it doesn’t. It won’t. And so, it stays stuck.

Now, you might be wondering, “What does this have to do with GenAI, drive-thrus, and business innovation?”

More than you think.

The AI Dream vs. Reality Check

We’ve all seen it—the grand promises: AI will revolutionize the drive-thru, optimize operations, and cut costs. And it makes sense. Who wouldn’t want to jump on that train? If you’re a CIO or tech leader, you’ve probably felt the pressure to innovate. So, like many, you doubled down. Innovation labs, AI startups, the best data scientists money can buy—all part of the grand plan. “If we own the tech, if we control the data, we’ll own the future,” you might’ve thought.

But here’s the real question: has all that investment gotten your hand stuck in the jar?

If you’ve found yourself caught in a cycle of building, owning, and controlling every aspect of AI in-house but aren’t seeing the results, you might be clinging too tightly. You’ve got your hand in the jar, holding onto the idea that in order to win with AI, you need to own every piece of the puzzle.

The Myth of Total Control

We’ve all been told that the key to innovation is ownership. Own the code, the data, the talent—build it yourself, and you’ll stay ahead. But here’s the thing: GenAI isn’t about ownership; it’s about outcomes. It’s about freeing yourself to move faster, not getting stuck in the weeds building something when there’s already a solution out there.

Think of it like this: the world doesn’t need another map service when Google Maps works beautifully. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when there’s a proven, reliable tool available. The key is to use it to get where you’re going, not spend years mapping out every street.

This applies directly to the QSR industry. One of the biggest brands out there tried to build their own AI-driven drive-thru system. They partnered with tech giants, acquired startups, and ran extensive tests. But when things didn’t go as planned—when the tech hiccups turned into viral moments and the ROI didn’t match the investment—they made a bold move. They let go. Publicly, they shifted gears, admitting that the fruit they were holding onto wasn’t worth the struggle.

It’s a lesson for all of us: sometimes, the smartest decision you can make is to let go.

Letting Go of the Fruit: Free Yourself to Innovate

The irony of the monkey trap is that the solution is simple: let go of what you think you need to hold onto. The fruit feels valuable, but it’s the very thing keeping the monkey trapped.

For businesses, it’s the same. You’ve invested time, resources, and talent into controlling every part of the AI equation. But that grip is what’s keeping you stuck. The more you cling to the idea of owning and controlling everything, the more you lose out on the agility and freedom GenAI offers in its simplest, most effective form.

What if you let go? What if, instead of doubling down on ownership, you embraced GenAI as the flexible, plug-and-play service it was designed to be? What if you treated it like cloud services or APIs—modular components that let you build quickly and move with speed?

The Freedom to Thrive: GenAI as a Tool, Not a Territory

The businesses that are winning with GenAI right now aren’t building everything from scratch. They aren’t caught up in the myth that innovation means owning every piece. They’re moving quickly because they treat GenAI as a service, not a product they need to control.

Think about it: you wouldn’t build your own cloud infrastructure when AWS is available, tested, and optimized. You wouldn’t map out your own roads when Google Maps already has every street covered. GenAI is no different. It’s there to be used, not owned. And the sooner you let go of the need to build it all yourself, the sooner you’ll see results.

This is especially relevant for the QSR industry. We’ve seen companies invest heavily in owning the AI drive-thru solution, only to realize the complexity and resource drain weren’t worth the outcome. The smart ones have recognized this and pivoted, realizing that letting go of the fruit is the best way to innovate effectively and move fast.

And when they’re ready to let go, partners like us are eager to help them move forward.

Here’s the Shift: GenAI as an Accelerator, Not a Project

Let’s rethink the approach. Instead of treating GenAI as a massive, complex project that you need to own, start seeing it as a toolkit for accelerating what you already do best. Use it to build faster, automate processes that are slowing you down, and innovate in small, impactful ways that add up.

Test quickly: Deploy GenAI solutions for small wins. Automate your support channels, create intelligent customer service systems, or build personalized marketing campaigns. These are fast, low-risk ways to see immediate value.

Iterate without ownership: Treat GenAI like an API. You plug it in, test it, and iterate. If it doesn’t work, you try something else. You’re not building infrastructure; you’re building experiences. That’s where the value lies.

Let your teams innovate: True freedom comes when you release the need for total control. Empower your teams—marketing, HR, operations—to use GenAI as a tool that enhances their work. You don’t need everyone to be a data scientist. You need them to be creative problem solvers using the best tools available.

The Path Forward: Unclench Your Fist

At Graivy, we understand that letting go isn’t easy. It feels risky, like abandoning a hard-fought effort. But when you do, you open yourself up to growth. As a startup, we’re not just offering a product; we’re offering a new way to think about AI. We’ve designed our solutions to integrate seamlessly, allowing you to take advantage of the latest technology without the burden of building everything yourself.

The truth is, GenAI is here to serve you, not to be controlled. It’s a tool in your toolkit, a service in your stack. And when you start seeing it that way, you’ll find the freedom to innovate, scale, and move faster than ever.

So, the question is: are you ready to unclench your fist? Are you ready to pull your hand out of the jar and use GenAI the way it was meant to be used—as a simple, powerful tool for growth?

At Graivy, we’re ready when you are. The choice is yours. The freedom is right there. Let go of the fruit. It’s time to innovate.

Key Takeaways:

• GenAI works best when leveraged as a service, not built from scratch.
• Avoid the trap of total control; focus on outcomes and efficiency instead.
• In the QSR industry, speed and agility are everything—use proven solutions to move fast and stay ahead.