AI Maturity: Key Findings
Over the next three years, 92% of companies plan to increase their AI investments, according to a 2025 McKinsey report.
But here’s the catch: only 1% of business leaders say their organizations are truly “mature” in AI, meaning it’s fully integrated into how they work and actually driving measurable results.
Everyone’s excited about what AI can do long-term, but most are still figuring out how to make it deliver value today.
The big question isn’t if companies should invest in AI. It’s how they can do it in a way that’s strategic, scalable, and actually moves the needle.
That’s where Name.com comes in. The company is helping creators and businesses bridge that gap by reimagining the domain and making it smarter, faster, and built for the AI era.
In this exclusive DesignRush interview, Carlos Armada, Director of Product at Name.com, shares how his team is turning domain management into an AI-native experience and why the next wave of innovation will be led by partnerships that put people at the center.
Who is Carlos Armada?
Carlos Armada is the Director of Product at Name.com, where he leads product strategy and the development of the company’s AI-native domain management platform. He holds a Master’s in Engineering Design Innovation from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University. Before joining Name.com, he managed product teams at DISH Network and contributed to emerging technology projects at IDEO CoLab. Based in Denver, Colorado, Carlos focuses on building tools that make domain management faster, smarter, and more accessible for developers and creators.
1. Rethink Your Digital Identity Strategy to Keep Pace With AI
AI is already transforming how people search, create, and launch businesses.
For Name.com, that shift was both a challenge and an opportunity to rethink what “digital identity” means.
“We look to work with forward-thinking organizations that help create seamless digital experiences for business owners,” says Armada. “Through our recent study at Name.com, we found that 83% of respondents reported increased productivity from AI, with 40% saying it transformed their work.”
This insight made it clear that businesses that simplify creation will lead the market.
By focusing on removing friction, Name.com is meeting a new generation of creators where they already are: inside AI-powered tools.
2. Build AI-Native Tools That Remove Friction for Creators
Armada and his team saw a growing need to help developers move faster as AI tools began generating everything from business plans to websites.
The missing step was often the most basic: registering a domain.
“Our world is evolving, and the velocity of AI-powered creation is at an all-time high,” he explains. “We created a solution that makes the domain step as easy as possible for developers and AI code assistants.”
The result was a complete rebuild of Name.com’s API, designed to let developers, resellers, and AI assistants register, manage, and sell domains instantly. It connects directly into the workflows creators already use, making setup a natural extension of creation.
According to Name.com’s internal survey, 91% of customers expect AI agents to handle domain management within the next two years, and 88% want natural language control for those tasks.
“Rather than trying to manage fragmented workflows, they need an option that keeps their work cohesive,” says Armada. “That’s why we rebuilt the API as a truly AI-native platform.”
3. Partner With Innovators Who Share Your Mission and Momentum
The key to staying competitive is partnership. Armada emphasizes that Name.com’s affiliate and reseller programs are designed around collaboration.
“We look to partner with those who share our innovative mindset and our core mission: to empower every customer, from solo entrepreneurs to small businesses, to manage their authentic identity online with ease,” he says.
Before forming any partnership, Armada’s team looks for three specific traits:
- Shared vision and values – ensuring all partners are aligned on goals.
- Scalability and reliability – building tools that grow with users.
- Commitment to innovation – working with teams that push boundaries.
He also highlights one major warning sign.
“Any lack of clarity can eventually lead to misalignment and ineffective solutions,” Armada notes. “We aim to deliver a cohesive suite of business tools with advanced AI features from day one.”
4. Embrace AI Standards That Unlock Simpler, Smarter Workflows
Domain platforms have long been clunky and rigid, and it’s a problem AI is finally solving. Thanks to emerging standards like the Model Context Protocol (MCP), domain management can now happen directly inside the AI tools people already use.
“Historically, managing domains meant switching between rigid interfaces and APIs,” Armada explains. “With MCP, those barriers are disappearing.”
Now, AI assistants can handle tasks like searching for and registering domains on behalf of users, even for non-technical founders.
“A developer can tell ChatGPT or Claude to ‘search for a domain and register it,’ and the integration takes care of the rest,” he says.
This shift is ushering in a new era of builders who value speed, simplicity, and integration over complexity.
5. Create Integrated, API-First Partnerships to Power the Next Wave of Growth
Looking ahead, Armada believes that the future of AI-driven growth lies in deep, integrated service ecosystems.
“The critical shift for future partnerships is moving beyond simple discounts to creating deeply integrated, API-first service bundles,” he says. “We want to collaborate with AI platforms to embed zero-friction identity provisioning directly into their tools.”
The next generation of successful integrations, he adds, won’t just improve productivity.
They’ll embed AI-native intelligence for ongoing maintenance and security, allowing creators to focus on what they do best.
“This fusion of engineering and design,” Armada concludes, “is what will transform commoditized products into differentiated, high-value experiences.”
Make AI Feel Effortless: That’s the Real Maturity
Name.com’s approach offers a practical playbook for thriving in an AI-first world: integrate early, align deeply, and design for speed and simplicity.
Armada and his team understand that AI maturity means making technology disappear into the background. The best solutions feel effortless, empowering users to stay focused while AI quietly handles the heavy lifting.
“AI isn’t replacing human creativity,” Armada says. “It’s removing the barriers that slow it down.”
For agencies, that means choosing partners who share your values and put user experience first. For brands, it’s about building tighter, smarter connections, ensuring every touchpoint feels seamless.
As the industry moves toward an “agent-led” era, those who pair empathy with automation will be the ones shaping what comes next.
Want to partner with leading agencies that understand AI-first innovation? Explore top AI companies on DesignRush.
