‘Stratlock’ and the AI Asterisk: Why Pilots Fail — and What Pragmatic Leaders Do Differently

Everyone — including the markets — have been buzzing and reacting to a headline about a new MIT Research Report. You’ve likely read or heard iterations of the headline: 95% of Gen AI pilots are failing. But there’s a huge asterisk to this statement.

In this episode of Insight On, CTO of Product Innovation Amol Ajgaonkar explains why leaders shouldn’t take the 95% stat too seriously — and what to learn from it.

Amol breaks down the “stratlock” trap (when organizations get stuck in endless strategy and never move to execution). He also shares why pragmatic leaders focus on measurable outcomes, how to avoid common pitfalls, and what it really takes to drive AI adoption that works for people and the business.

Key topics:

• The difference between strategy and execution in AI projects
• How to build AI strategies that deliver real, measurable results
• The importance of starting small, iterating, and learning fast
• What leaders can do to move from planning to progress If you’re responsible for technology decisions, budgets, or outcomes, this conversation is for you.

Listen for practical advice and real-world examples that will help you lead with clarity.

🔗 For more resources, case studies, and solutions, visit https://www.insight.com.

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague. It’s how we grow the conversation and help more leaders make better tech decisions.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome

06:09 - The reaction to the MIT report on AI pilot failures

10:52 - Addressing executive hype and strategy lock

15:59 - The importance of an iterative AI strategy

35:50 - Red light, green light: The AI asterisk edition

43:03 - Final thoughts on a pragmatic AI approach