Pilots Aren’t a Victory Lap: The Fast Lane from Experiment to Enterprise Value
We Lead Out’s Future Now series shares forward-looking, research-driven insights for leaders reshaping how professional services are built, sold, and delivered.
AI pilots are exciting. They’re a glimpse of what’s possible. But for too many organisations, the pilot is where progress flatlines.
It’s not because the tech fails. It’s because no one plans for what happens after it works.
If you're serious about turning innovation into enterprise value, your job starts the moment the pilot succeeds, not when it kicks off.
Most pilots stall. Not because they failed. Because no one knew what came next.
Here’s the pattern we keep seeing:
A motivated team spins up a small pilot.
The results are promising.
Leadership applauds. Then... crickets.
Momentum dies when the pilot doesn’t have an owner, a next step, or a story that travels beyond the original team.
When a pilot works, act fast. Here’s your checklist.
We’ve worked with teams to bridge this gap, and these are the steps that make the difference.
Lock in a commercial sponsor
Find someone with skin in the game. This isn’t an AI project. it’s a business bet.
One client’s CFO got wind of a successful pilot and took over as sponsor. Within six weeks, rollout had started across two business units.
Document visible, public wins
Capture the before-and-after. Numbers. Screenshots. Stories. Make it real. Make it loud.
A Travel Booking company’s pilot doubled conversion for high-value travellers. They shared the story internally and received immediate buy-in for the rollout.
Commit to the next step (small but real)
Don’t default to “run another pilot.” Instead: what’s the first meaningful move?
Cialdini’s consistency principle tells us that small public actions lead to bigger commitments. Start there.
Build a multi-disciplinary scaling squad
Don’t leave rollout to the original team. Bring in ops, tech, comms, and change leads from day one.
Announce unity: “Your win is our win”
Make it a shared success. Celebrate loudly. Invite input.
Unity works. When teams see the win as collective, rollout is smoother and faster.
Start the enterprise value conversation now
Use the pilot as a wedge to address larger strategic questions. Where else could this apply? What would 5x ROI look like?
Schedule the executive handover (not a goodbye)
This isn’t “wrap up.” It’s a relay. Host a handover with clear roles, continuity support, and shared context.
Fast lane checklist: From pilot to value
Here’s your Pilot-to-Value plan. Print it, share it, or pin it to your board.
Commercial sponsor confirmed
Success story documented and shared
Next milestone locked in
Cross-functional scaling team engaged
Win celebrated across teams
Value conversation initiated
Executive handover scheduled
Don’t let your best work gather dust.
If your pilot delivered real results, and you’re ready to turn it into something bigger, we’d love to talk.
Your wins are our wins.
We Lead Out helps business and government leaders navigate transformation with confidence, starting with the foundations that matter. Reach out to learn more about the trends affecting Australian businesses.
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