AI strategy for SMBs is not the Fortune 500 playbook

When a Fortune 500 chief data officer publishes their AI strategy, it usually involves a center of excellence, a federated operating model, and a multi-year platform investment. None of that is useful at $30M in revenue.

At small and mid-size companies, the constraints are inverted. You have fewer engineers, less data infrastructure, and a board that wants to see ROI inside 12 months. The good news: you also have less politics, faster decisions, and the ability to ship.

Our SMB AI strategy framework has three steps. First, find the two or three workflows where AI saves at least one full-time equivalent. Second, build the smallest possible pilot inside a single team. Third, only then ask whether you need a platform, a data lake, or a new role.

The companies that get AI right are not the ones with the prettiest decks. They are the ones who shipped something useful in 90 days and learned from it.