Business Leaders: Don’t Let IT Own Your AI Strategy

Ryan Frederick | August 8th, 2025 | Dublin, OH

Too many business leaders are making a critical mistake with AI: handing it entirely to IT and hoping for magic.

Yes, AI has a heavy tech component. But AI is not just technology. It’s a business capability shift. Suppose your AI strategy is driven solely by IT. In that case, it will likely focus on tools, infrastructure, and models, not transformation, revenue growth, and competitive advantage.

The result? AI becomes an expensive science project instead of a value-driving force.
AI success starts with the business outcomes you want: improved margins, faster decision-making, better customer experiences, and then works backward to determine how AI supports those goals. IT plays a vital role, but it cannot be the driver.

Leaders need to:

Define the business problems worth solving with AI.
Set measurable outcomes before selecting the tech.
Make AI a cross-functional initiative, not an IT silo.

Don’t let the tech tail wag the business dog. Lead with vision, outcomes, and impact, then let technology serve the strategy, not dictate it.

Ryan Frederick

Ryan Frederick is a seasoned entrepreneur, author, speaker, and investor, renowned for his expertise at the intersection of technology and its profound effects on global economics, politics, labor, and society. As a Principal at Transform Labs, a technology advising firm, Ryan leverages his extensive background technology and business strategy to assist organizations in navigating the complexities of a new era of immense technical automation.

With a career that began in software development, Ryan possesses a unique blend of technical proficiency and business insight. This combination has enabled him to successfully establish and expand multiple companies, providing him with firsthand experience in the challenges and opportunities presented by technological innovation. His entrepreneurial journey has also led him to become an active angel investor and a mentor to startups and corporate innovation leaders, further solidifying his role as a catalyst for technological advancement in the business world.

Ryan is the author of two influential books: "The Founder's Manual: A Guidebook for Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur," which offers insights into product creation and company building, and "Sell Naked: And Other Advice for Growing and Managing Services Firms," focusing on strategies for service-based businesses.

As a thought leader and speaker, Ryan frequently shares his perspectives on how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are reshaping various facets of society. In his writings, he discusses the macro-level changes driven by AI, including its impact on economic models, labor dynamics, and geopolitical stability. Ryan emphasizes that the rapid adoption of AI and automation necessitates a reevaluation of traditional economic structures and poses both challenges and opportunities for global societies.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Ryan is committed to workforce development and social impact. He founded i.c.stars, a non-profit program dedicated to training under-employed adults in digital skills, demonstrating his dedication to bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusive growth in the tech industry.

Ryan's deep understanding of the interplay between technology and societal structures, combined with his practical experience in business and innovation, positions him as a compelling speaker on the transformative effects of technology on global economics, politics, labor, and society.