The Qualities of an Ideal MVP Building

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Step-by-Step AI Guide for Non-Tech Business Owners

A simple, practical workbook showing where AI can actually help your business — and where it won’t.
Dev Guys Team — Built with clarity, speed, and purpose.

The Need for This Workbook

If you run a business today, you’re expected to “have an AI strategy”. All around, people are piloting, selling, or hyping AI solutions. But most non-tech business leaders face two poor choices:
• Agreeing to all AI suggestions blindly, expecting results.
• Rejecting all ideas out of fear or uncertainty.

It guides you to make rational decisions about AI adoption without hype or hesitation.

Forget models and parameters — focus on how your business works. AI is simply a tool built on top of those foundations.

Using This Workbook Effectively

You can complete this alone or with your management team. The aim isn’t to finish quickly but to think clearly. 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 is just business strategy — minus the buzzwords.

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?
• Which parts of the business feel overwhelmed or inefficient?
• 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 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

Evaluate Each Use Case for Business Value

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

Map your ideas to see where to start.
• Focus first on small, high-impact changes.
• Big strategic initiatives take time but deliver scale.
• Nice-to-Haves — low impact, low effort.
• High cost, low reward — skip them.

Add risk as a filter: where can AI act safely, and where must humans approve?.

Small wins set the foundation for larger bets.

Laying Strong Foundations

Data Quality Before AI Quality

Messy data ruins good AI; fix the base first. Clarity first, automation later.

Design Human-in-the-Loop by Default

AI should draft, suggest, or monitor — not act blindly. Build confidence before full automation.

Common Traps

Steer Clear of Predictable Failures

01. The Demo Illusion — excitement without strategy.
02. The Pilot Graveyard — endless pilots that never scale.
03. The Full Automation Fantasy — imagining instant department replacement.

Define ownership, success, and rollout paths early.

Partnering with Vendors and Developers

Your role is to define the problem clearly, not design the model. State outcomes clearly — e.g., “reduce response time 40%”. 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 GCP is visible.
Ownership and clarity drive results.

Essential Pre-Launch AI Questions

Before any project, confirm:
• What measurable result does it support?
• Is the process clearly documented in steps?
• Is the data complete enough for repetition?
• Where will humans remain in control?
• How will success be measured in 90 days?
• What’s the fallback insight?

The Calm Side of AI

AI done right feels stable, not overwhelming. Focus on leverage, not hype. True AI integration supports your business invisibly.

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