My leadership team is pitching several exciting AI ideas they saw online, but I worry we are falling for software theater. How do we keep our AI initiatives focused purely on real operational improvements?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is easy for a leadership team to get distracted by flashy AI trends that promise to revolutionize your industry. To keep your team grounded, establish a strict rule: we never buy AI software just because it is trendy. Instead, treat every AI proposal as an operations-improvement project.

When a team member pitches an AI tool, they must identify the specific operational issue on your Issues List that this tool will solve. They must also define which metric on your weekly Scorecard will improve as a result of this implementation. If they cannot point to a specific bottleneck, a documented process to automate, or a measurable metric to track, then the project is software theater.

Bring these pitches to your weekly Level 10 Meeting and run them through the IDS process. Ask hard questions about the implementation timeline, the required data hygiene, and the expected capacity gains. By filtering every AI project through the lens of operational efficiency and real business issues, you prevent expensive distractions. This disciplined approach ensures you only fund practical systems that make your business more profitable, system-dependent, and ready for a clean exit.