Are You Ready for AI?
Not every business is ready for AI — and that's okay. But most businesses that think they're not ready actually are. They just don't know where to start.
The 5 Questions
1. Do you have a process that takes more than 30 minutes and happens daily?
If yes, you have an automation candidate. AI doesn't need to solve world hunger — it just needs to make one repetitive process faster.
2. Can you describe the rules of that process to a new employee?
If you can explain it to a human, you can probably teach it to an AI. The more structured and rule-based the process, the better the candidate.
3. Do you have access to the data the process uses?
AI needs data to work with. If your data is trapped in paper files or disconnected systems, that's your first project: digitize and connect.
4. Is someone on your team willing to champion the project?
Every successful AI project has an internal champion — someone who understands the problem, can evaluate the solution, and will push for adoption.
5. Are you willing to iterate?
AI is not a one-and-done deployment. The first version will be 70% of what you need. The second will be 90%. The third will be 99%. Are you willing to go through that process?
Scoring
- 5/5: You're ready. Start with an assessment to prioritize your options.
- 3-4/5: You're close. Address the gaps and you'll be ready within a month.
- 1-2/5: Focus on the fundamentals first — digitize your data, document your processes, and find your champion.
What's Next
If you scored 3 or above, consider a structured AI readiness assessment. It's the fastest way to go from "we should do something with AI" to "here's exactly what we should build and why."