← Concept IndexDEFINITION WHY IT MATTERS COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
Pilot before you scale
Also called: start small, proof of value, controlled rollout
Adopting AI by running one bounded, low-stakes use first, measuring whether it actually helps, and letting evidence — not enthusiasm — earn any widening of scope.
Most failed AI initiatives skipped straight to 'everywhere.' A narrow pilot with a real success measure surfaces the cost, the failure modes, and the change-management work while they're still cheap to fix.
A demo. A demo shows it can work once; a pilot tests whether it holds up on real work, with real users, measured against what it replaced.