A synthesis of conversations recorded in Grain and meeting notes collected in Teams. These themes inform the work we help customers prepare for, from changing responsibilities to technical projects and shared workflows with AI.
Synthesis reviewed 4 October 2026
01
Buyers want their existing teams to use AI in their own responsibilities. A newly named role is one entry point; changed work within an existing role is another.
What this means for preparation: Start with the responsibility that is changing. Agree the practice scenarios and evidence needed for people to perform it.
Explore Project Readiness02
Generic tool demonstrations leave a gap. Buyers bring industry processes, campaign handoffs, investigation findings and engineering projects that their teams recognise.
What this means for preparation: Use a bounded workflow and realistic decisions. Rehearse checking sources, handling exceptions and passing work to the next owner.
See customer workflow themes03
FDE discussions connect stakeholder discovery with a clear problem, hands-on implementation, feedback and technical handoff.
What this means for preparation: Practise both the conversation and the build. Review the implementation, its limits and what the receiving team needs to run it.
Explore FDE preparation04
Some buyers want preparation using approved tools and existing licences. Others need labs while retaining their own trainers and learning programme.
What this means for preparation: Agree the environment, access and delivery ownership. Preparation can use customer tools or agreed practice environments, depending on the work.
Explore preparation products05
Assessment conversations raise questions about valid alternative solutions, useful feedback and whether a result reflects demonstrated capability.
What this means for preparation: Define the criteria and inspect the work produced. Review decisions, source checks and explanations alongside the final artifact.
Explore readiness assessments06
Lab and partner discussions include launch experience, environment availability, reporting, integration and who responds when learners need help.
What this means for preparation: Scope environment support and partner responsibilities explicitly. Agree who owns access, learner support, the customer relationship and ongoing delivery.
Review partnership scopeA request for a demo, test environment or proposed programme tells us what to investigate next. It does not establish a purchased engagement or a completed customer outcome. Follow-up notes can also reveal constraints, alternatives and a change in priorities.
These conversations give us a practical starting point for the new work people share with AI agents. Simulations can help rehearse decisions and handoffs. Human readiness, agent behaviour and acceptance of the shared workflow need separate criteria and agreed review ownership.
Understand the new workforceWe compare the buyer's work, preparation needs and follow-up requests across conversations. Repeat meetings and notes about the same discussion are considered together. This is a qualitative synthesis, with identifying and commercial details omitted.
Direct conversations with leaders navigating AI adoption in their organizations.
We talk to engineering leaders, department heads, and CXOs about what's actually happening with AI in their teams.
Company names and identifying details are abstracted. Industries, roles, and patterns are preserved.
Every observation maps to a pattern we see repeatedly: the gap between individual AI adoption and organizational strategy.
