Operator notes from the bench.
Specific, blunt, anti-hype. Pattern-naming from actual engagements inside 5 to 50 person businesses, plus the frameworks I run on every assessment.
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Your AI Isn't Failing. Your Data Is.
Most AI projects in 5-50 person businesses fail because the data underneath is incomplete, inconsistent, or trapped in someone's head. The fix sequences data first, automation after.
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Neither Camp
Consulting splits into vertical specialists and horizontal generalists. The operator who wins hires neither. The third path is harder to find and easier to verify.
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Your Data Lives in Brian's Head
In a 5-50 person business, the database has a face. Data discipline at this size means extracting what one person knows, not buying better software.
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That's Not an AI Problem
Every discovery call lately starts with 'we need AI.' Most of the time the actual fix isn't AI. Here's the diagnostic that sorts the difference.