Thought piece: Solving the GenAI divide

Hi there,

Let’s be honest about “digital transformation.” For years, we have seen reports that over 70% of these projects fail.

A new MIT report on the State of AI in Business just put a finer point on it: 95% of companies investing in GenAI are getting zero measurable return.

They call this the “GenAI Divide.” This failure stems from the wrong approach, not from bad models or a lack of talent. Most initiatives fail because they are treated like science projects: brittle tools that do not learn or integrate with the messy reality of day-to-day work.

So, if 95% of projects are failing, how do the winners cross the divide?

Speed is your best defense

A culture that defaults to "no" and a structure that punishes failure are the biggest obstacles. Real speed comes from a simple, repeatable system for continuous improvement, not from one-off "agile sprints." That approach is just innovation theater.

For the past year, at Future Works, we have been taking our own medicine. We turned our frameworks inward on our own delivery model, re-engineering our processes to remove friction and accelerate outcomes.

The result was a breakthrough.

We are now consistently delivering critical digital and AI projects 2x faster.

Our industry is filled with promises. We prefer proof. To celebrate this breakthrough, we have launched a new online hub. It is a library of evidence, not a simple brochure, showing how to cross the GenAI Divide. It contains the case studies, client results, and high-velocity protocols that got us here. See for yourself.

This breakthrough is a real-world capability, not just an internal metric. We recently helped JLL, the global real estate giant, define their AI vision. Using our high-velocity approach, we delivered the full strategy, working prototypes, and an 18-month roadmap in just four weeks.

As Andy Poppink, CEO of Global Markets Advisory at JLL, said:

“We presented a challenging project within a complex organization and asked for it all in an unreasonably short timeframe; and their team delivered with excellence!”

This speed applies to execution, too. For Nextracker, a leader in solar technology, we went beyond advice. We built and launched their new logistics software platform, NxOs, which resulted in a 20% efficiency gain and 6,000 man-hours saved in the first year.

That is what it looks like to be on the right side of the GenAI Divide. It comes from focus, predictability, and a system that de-risks major projects and guarantees outcomes.

Much Love,
Matt

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