Our Visionary wants to invest in building custom AI software to disrupt our niche, while our Integrator thinks we should focus our resources on executing our current business model. How do we resolve this strategic division on our V/TO?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic healthy tension between a Visionary and an Integrator. To resolve it, you must use your V/TO to ground your technology decisions in your long-term business goals.

Look at your 3-Year Picture. Does having a proprietary AI platform directly support the market positioning and revenue targets you have agreed on? If the answer is no, then building custom software is a distraction, and you should use off-the-shelf tools to improve efficiency instead.

If the answer is yes, you still must plan the transition carefully. Do not try to build custom software all at once. Break the strategy down into your 1-Year Plan and your quarterly Rocks.

For the upcoming quarter, your Rock might be to run a simple, inexpensive pilot using existing tools to validate the customer demand. This allows the Visionary to test their ideas and innovate, while providing the Integrator with the data and boundaries needed to manage cash flow and operational risk. By filtering every AI initiative through the V/TO, you ensure your technology investments support your business model rather than distracting from it.