From AI-curious to AI-first
Most businesses are dabbling with AI. A few are rebuilding how they work around it. I help UK SMEs become one of the few.
Dabbling isn’t a strategy
In most businesses, AI looks the same. A few enthusiasts use it every day. Most people tried it once, weren’t impressed, or are quietly worried about getting it wrong. Leaders know it matters, but nobody owns it.
That approach gets you a few faster emails. It doesn’t change your business.
The businesses that will pull ahead are the ones that go further: where every team uses AI with confidence, everyday work is redesigned around it, and people are constantly finding the next thing it can do. That’s what I mean by AI-first, and it’s where I help you get to.
Sound familiar?
- A handful of people use AI, and everyone else is nervous of it or doesn’t see the point.
- You’ve bought AI licences, but nobody can say what they’ve changed.
- Staff are using free tools in secret, because nobody has said what’s allowed.
- Clients are asking about your AI policy, or writing AI rules into contracts.
- You can see competitors moving faster, and you don’t want to be left behind.
How I take teams from nervous to AI-first
1. Lay the foundations
Ambition needs a safe base. We agree a clear AI policy, approved tools on the right business licences, and a small group to review new uses. Done well, this isn’t red tape. It’s what gives people permission to go for it.
2. Build confidence across the whole team
Hands-on training for everyone, in small groups, using your own work rather than generic examples. The goal is for every person to leave knowing at least one thing AI can do for them tomorrow.
3. Keep the momentum going
One training session doesn’t change habits. Regular lunchtime sessions and show-and-tells let people share what’s working, so ideas spread from team to team and the quieter users see what’s possible from colleagues they trust.
4. Work one to one on real tasks
I sit down with individuals and teams to look at their actual day and find where AI fits. This is where nervous users become confident ones, and where the best ideas usually come from.
5. Redesign the work, not just the tasks
Once people are confident, we look at whole processes and ask a bigger question: if we were starting today, with AI, how would we do this? That’s where the step change in time and cost comes from.
6. Measure and build on it
Every change has a simple before-and-after measure, such as hours saved or turnaround time. You see what’s working, stop what isn’t, and invest in what comes next.
Proof
A 50-person London marketing agency
As fractional CTO for a 50-person London marketing agency, I led its move from a small group of cautious users to AI-first teams:
- Foundations first: wrote and rolled out the agency’s AI policy to all 50 staff, with approved tools and enterprise-grade AI licences to meet a major global client’s requirements
- Whole-team training, followed by regular lunchtime sessions, show-and-tells and one-to-one work on real tasks
- AI in everyday work: an AI knowledge base for staff, and AI-assisted translation checking moved from a trial into daily use
- Thinking bigger: the agency is now redesigning core production work around AI from the start, rather than adding it at the end
Alongside the wider systems work, project managers now spend 20% less time on each campaign and the production team 30% less time on manual tasks.
How it works
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Getting to know each other
One conversation or a few, so I understand your business, your people and how AI is being used today. Only when there’s a real connection, and I know I can help, will I put together a proposal.
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Where you are now
A short review of who is using AI, for what, on which tools and licences, and where the biggest opportunities are.
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A plan to become AI-first
Clear steps, owners and measures, agreed with your leadership team.
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Making it happen
Foundations, training, sessions and one-to-one work, at a pace your business can absorb.
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Ongoing support, if you want it
Many businesses keep me on to lead what comes next, as part of a fractional CTO arrangement.
This can be a standalone project or part of ongoing CTO support. Every proposal is tailored, so you only pay for the time you need.
Frequently asked questions
What does “AI-first” actually mean?
It means AI is the starting point for how work gets done, not an afterthought. People reach for it naturally, processes are designed with it in mind, and the business keeps finding new uses because its people are confident enough to look for them.
Our team is nervous about AI. Where do we start?
With clear rules and hands-on training using your own work. Nervousness usually comes from not knowing what’s allowed or what’s possible. Once people see a colleague save an hour on a task they recognise, attitudes change quickly.
Do we really need an AI policy?
If anyone in your business uses AI tools, yes. A short, clear policy protects client data, answers client and insurer questions, and gives people permission to use AI properly rather than secretly.
Is our data safe with AI tools?
It depends on the tool and the licence. Free and personal versions of many AI tools may use what you type to improve their products, while business versions usually don’t. I make sure you’re on the right licences and that everyone knows what must never be shared.
How long does it take?
The foundations and first round of training usually take a few weeks. Becoming genuinely AI-first takes longer, typically several months of sessions, one-to-one work and redesigning processes. You should see measurable time savings well before the end.