I was at the Microsoft AI Tour last week. Microsoft exists to sell products. I worked there many years ago in their industry team and the license always won over the solution. It’s in the DNA. They do make some great products. We are a top-tier Microsoft AI partner and we deploy them in our engagements. But AI is not about software products. It's so far away from what most businesses need that its like trying to sell them a chocolate eclair to hammer in a nail. AI transformat

We used to run a business that drove a Social Mobility agenda into early career technology roles. We stopped that because we saw AI taking over those early-career roles in the future. And that now appears to be happening in a number of industries. The problem is that you still need to hire early-career people, or else you will not create the next generation of expertise for your business. Having spent quite a bit of time in this area, here is my advice for any company hiring

If someone walks in to your office to sell you “AI”, and they start demoing a software product, then don’t expect the next step to be a magical transition to an AI future. Tools should not be the starting point. Start by talking about what your business is trying to achieve. Start by designing solutions to pressing business problems. Start by learning more about how AI can enable brand new business models and services that you had not even considered. This is the right way to

Let’s say you want to build something from raw materials, like a garden deck or lay a new patio. It’s tempting to rush out and buy shiny new tools not just because that’s a fun thing to do: spending money and time in that way feels like progress and gives us a dopamine hit. I’ve done it. Marley’s garage is full of redundant purchases. The right answer is to sit down and plan what you are building, look at your existing tools and work out what you actually need. It’s the same

AI should be led by the CEO, not the CIO, CDO, CAIO or the CDAIAO (made that one up.) AI is a business transformation not a technical one. It should a top 3 long term strategic priority for a business. Of course you need finance, risk, IT and business input on the project but the ownership should sit with the CEO. Why? Technically led AI “transformations” result in endless technical POCs to prove technical capability. They spit out tools selected for feature compatibility, no

I met a VC last year. They passed on us because we have a strong professional services component to our mix. We believe that AI is a business transformation and it needs consulting and people to enable that transformation. It’s easier to scale a product than a services company, they said. I suggested they might be wrong and that 2026 would usher in a new AI era. (There may have been other reasons, of course, perhaps me suggesting they might be wrong being one of them….) VCs a

I speak with lots of business owners and CEOs. I see these patterns and questions in those conversations: 1. How do I double revenue in next 24 months with same cost base? 2. Can I take 25% of cost out (overhead) in next 6 months? 3. I’ve had an “incident”. How do I not have an “incident” again? Could be cyber breach, H&S failure, poor data reporting…something worthy of Board worry. 4. How do I take my market share from 10% to 50% in next FY? These are the actually driving fo