Strategic fit
Whether the proposal supports a material business priority and belongs in the portfolio.
What we do
AI Investment / Go-No-Go Review
Independent executive scrutiny of a material AI proposal, platform, vendor, pilot or programme before your organisation commits capital, data, capacity or reputation.
The leadership challenge
A persuasive demo is not an investment case.
AI proposals often move quickly because the technology feels urgent and the vendor story is compelling.
A disciplined review creates space for executive judgment before sunk cost and organisational momentum make the decision harder to reverse.
- A major platform purchase needs independent challenge
- A pilot is seeking scale funding without clear evidence
- Vendor claims are difficult to validate
- Business ownership and adoption are unclear
Scope
What the review tests
Business case
Whether benefits, costs, assumptions, dependencies and measures are credible.
Feasibility
Whether data, integration, architecture, delivery and operating capacity are sufficient.
Risk
Whether privacy, security, compliance, vendor, operational and reputational risks are understood.
Adoption
Whether workflows, users, incentives, ownership and change requirements are realistic.
Operating model
Independent evidence for a defensible decision
The review is deliberately focused and concludes with a clear recommendation and conditions.
- 01
Frame the decision
Agree what is being decided, the required evidence and the material risks.
- 02
Review the case
Examine strategy, economics, technology, data, vendor, governance and adoption.
- 03
Challenge assumptions
Test benefit claims, dependencies, alternatives and failure modes.
- 04
Recommend
Provide Go, Conditional Go, Rework or No-Go with explicit reasons and next steps.
Independent executive challenge
We don't sell AI software. So we're free to tell you not to buy it.
Darren provides independent executive challenge before significant AI investment is committed. The recommendation is not shaped by a software commission, a requirement to select a particular vendor, an implementation quota or an incentive to manufacture AI projects.
The review ends with one of three defensible positions: proceed where the business case is credible, validate where potential exists but evidence is insufficient, or stop where value, readiness or risk does not justify investment.
GO
The business case is credible
VALIDATE
Potential exists; evidence is insufficient
NO-GO
Value, readiness or risk does not justify investment
No software commissions
No required vendor recommendation
No implementation quota
No incentive to manufacture projects
Fit
This review is right when
- The investment is material or difficult to reverse
- Leadership lacks independent AI expertise
- A vendor is shaping the business case
- A pilot has results but scale economics remain unclear
- The board needs a defensible recommendation
Measurement
What you receive
Outcome 01
Independent executive recommendation
Outcome 02
Assumption and evidence register
Outcome 03
Risk and dependency view
Outcome 04
Alternative options considered
Outcome 05
Conditions for approval
Outcome 06
Board-ready decision summary
A clear next step
Make the AI investment decision before the momentum makes it for you.
Discuss the proposal, the decision deadline and the evidence your leadership team needs.