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AI Roadmap Workbook for Non-Technical Business Leaders

A simple, practical workbook showing the real areas where AI adds value — and where it doesn’t.
The Dev Guys — Think deeply. Build simply. Ship fast.

Purpose of This Workbook

Modern business leaders face pressure to adopt AI strategies. Everyone seems to be experimenting with, buying, or promoting something AI-related. But many non-technical leaders are caught between extremes:
• Saying “yes” to every vendor or internal idea, hoping some of it will succeed.
• Saying “no” to everything because it feels risky or confusing.

It provides a third, smarter path — a clear, grounded way to find genuine AI opportunities.

You don’t have to be technical; you just need to know your operations well. AI is only effective when built on your existing processes.

How to Use This Workbook

Either fill it solo or discuss it collaboratively. It’s not about completion — it’s about clarity. By the end, you’ll have:
• A short list of meaningful AI opportunities tied to profit or efficiency.
• Understanding of where AI should not be used.
• A clear order of initiatives instead of scattered trials.

Think of it as a guide, not a form. Your AI plan should be simple enough to explain in one meeting.

AI strategy equals good business logic, simply expressed.

Step One — Focus on Business Goals

Focus on Goals Before Tools

Too often, leaders ask about tools instead of outcomes — that’s the wrong start. Start with measurable goals that truly impact your business.

Ask:
• What 3–5 business results truly matter this year?
• Where are mistakes common or workloads heavy?
• Which processes are slowed by scattered information?

AI is valuable only when it moves key metrics — revenue, margins, time, or risk. Ideas without measurable outcomes belong in the experiment bucket.

Start here, and you’ll invest in leverage — not novelty.

Understand How Work Actually Happens

Understand the Flow Before Applying AI

AI fits only once you understand the real workflow. Ask: “What happens from start to finish MVP Rescue in this process?”.

Examples include:
• Lead comes in ? assigned ? follow-up ? quote ? revision ? close/lost.
• Customer issue logged ? categorised ? responded ? closed.
• Invoice issued ? tracked ? escalated ? payment confirmed.

Inputs, actions, outputs — that’s the simple structure. Ideal AI zones: messy inputs, repeatable steps, consistent outputs.

Step Three — Choose What Matters

Score AI Use Cases by Impact, Effort, and Risk

Not every use case deserves action; prioritise by impact and feasibility.

Map your ideas to see where to start.
• Quick Wins: easy and powerful.
• Strategic Bets — high impact, high effort.
• Optional improvements with minimal value.
• High cost, low reward — skip them.

Always judge the safety of automation before scaling.

Your roadmap starts with safe, effective wins.

Foundations & Humans

Get the Basics Right First

Without clean systems, AI will mirror your chaos. Check data completeness, process clarity, and alignment.

Human Oversight Builds Trust

Let AI assist, not replace, your team. Over time, increase automation responsibly.

Avoid Common AI Pitfalls

Learn from Others’ Missteps

01. The Shiny Demo Trap — getting impressed by flashy demos with no purpose.
02. The Pilot Problem — learning without impact.
03. The Automation Mirage — expecting overnight change.

Fewer, focused projects with clear owners and goals beat scattered enthusiasm.

Working with Experts

Non-tech leaders guide direction, not coding. Focus on measurable results, not buzzwords. Expose real examples, not just ideal scenarios. Clarify success early and plan stepwise rollouts.

Transparency about failures reveals true expertise.

Signs of a Strong AI Roadmap

How to Know Your AI Strategy Works

It’s simple, measurable, and owned.
Buzzword-free alignment is visible.
Ownership and clarity drive results.

Essential Pre-Launch AI Questions

Before any project, confirm:
• What measurable result does it support?
• Which workflow is involved, and can it be described simply?
• Do we have data and process clarity?
• Where will humans remain in control?
• What is the 3-month metric?
• What’s the fallback insight?

Conclusion

AI should make your business calmer, clearer, and more controlled — not noisier or chaotic. A real roadmap is a disciplined sequence of high-value projects that strengthen your best people. When AI becomes part of your workflow quietly, it stops being hype — it becomes infrastructure.

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