I’d add another consideration: competitive blind spots.
The CEO you’re pitching is often playing 3D chess. He or she is thinking about competitors, customer expectations, and where the business needs to be in the next quarters and years (plus they have a fiduciary duty to think this way).
They’re weighing both “What happens if we buy this and it fails?” and “What happens if we dismiss it and our competitors figure it out?” Or “do we have the in-house talent to build it?”
That doesn’t justify buying into every AI pitch. But a good evaluation should challenge the blind spots in both the vendor’s promises and the company’s own assumptions.
That's an important perspective Ryan, particularly the risk of inaction while competitors move ahead.
I also agree that the build-versus-buy question deserves equal attention.
Ultimately, the decision isn't just about whether the technology works or the investment makes financial sense. It's also about where the business needs to be in the next few years, and which option best positions us to get there.
That's a dimension worth making more explicit in the evaluation. Appreciate you bringing it up!
I’d add another consideration: competitive blind spots.
The CEO you’re pitching is often playing 3D chess. He or she is thinking about competitors, customer expectations, and where the business needs to be in the next quarters and years (plus they have a fiduciary duty to think this way).
They’re weighing both “What happens if we buy this and it fails?” and “What happens if we dismiss it and our competitors figure it out?” Or “do we have the in-house talent to build it?”
That doesn’t justify buying into every AI pitch. But a good evaluation should challenge the blind spots in both the vendor’s promises and the company’s own assumptions.
That's an important perspective Ryan, particularly the risk of inaction while competitors move ahead.
I also agree that the build-versus-buy question deserves equal attention.
Ultimately, the decision isn't just about whether the technology works or the investment makes financial sense. It's also about where the business needs to be in the next few years, and which option best positions us to get there.
That's a dimension worth making more explicit in the evaluation. Appreciate you bringing it up!