Editor's Note: The following article by EVP of Innovation Keith Yandell was published by Forbes Technology Council in June 2026. Click below to read the full article.
For years, the path from idea to implementation followed a familiar rhythm. This involved:
- Spending months building a proof of concept
- Earning buy-in with key stakeholders
- Securing funding/budget approval
- Getting the green light
Next, you move into pilot, bring in a subset of users, pressure-test the solution and determine what it did (or didn't do) for the business. Then, it’s time for production. Depending on the solution, the whole cycle might take a year or more.
Think about the AI capabilities that come at us today within a one-year window. Solutions evaluated at the proof-of-concept stage are irrelevant by the time you're ready to launch. And so, you find yourself stuck in what I'd call a pilot loop. The solution you're piloting gets replaced by a new feature or capability and you pilot that instead. You constantly play catch-up with innovation rather than moving the business forward.
