Selling AI: A Wakeup Call for Stakeholders

Most clients get burned by vendors who promise AI agents but deliver projects that don’t last in production. They look for subcontractors instead of AI partners.

The real problem is that businesses are jumping into AI agents without first building deterministic automations. They’re skipping the planning, audits, and strategic roadmaps.

Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. - Abraham Lincoln

Most businesses aren’t sharpening the axe. Stop thinking you need an “AI Agent” or “AI Automator.” Start thinking you need a problem solver- specifically, one that solves your actual problem.

However, you (the stakeholder) must allow whoever you hire to fully understand the problem before you can expect to get what you’re paying for.

Stakeholders often ask for a product, such as an “AI Agent,” but rarely realize that the most crucial stage in determining a project’s success is Business Analysis.

This stage involves taking the time to understand organizational processes, stakeholders, workflows, and gaps.

By performing a simple gap analysis, you can uncover issues you didn’t even know existed and possibly reshape your priorities. This brainstorming almost always ends with a situation statement, which precedes the actual list with possible solutions.

The solution might not even be AI- and that’s okay.

Learning how to conduct a needs analysis is what’s most valuable, as it allows you to identify your organization’s needs, set priorities, and brainstorm potential solutions- which may or may not involve AI.

Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. -Forrest Gump