Why I'm Building This Space

I've spent two decades helping organisations navigate technology transformation. From the early days of cloud adoption through mobile-first strategies, and now into the AI era - I've watched hype cycles come and go.

Some technologies delivered on their promises. Many didn't.

The Problem I Keep Seeing

Every week, I speak with founders, CEOs, and business leaders who are drowning in AI content. They're bombarded with:

Breathless predictions from researchers (fascinating but too technical)
Polished pitches from vendors (exciting but too salesy)
Theoretical frameworks from consultants (interesting but too abstract)

What they actually need is someone who can answer practical questions:

"Is this vendor's demo representative of what we'd actually get?"
"What should this realistically cost us?"
"What are the red flags I should watch for?"
"When does AI make sense - and when doesn't it?"

What I'm Actually Qualified to Say

I'm not positioning myself as an AI implementation guru with dozens of deployed systems. That would be dishonest. What I can genuinely offer is:

20 years of pattern recognition. I've watched technologies get hyped, mature, and either deliver or disappoint. AI is following familiar patterns - and I can help you spot them.

Active learning at depth. I'm currently pursuing an MSc in Computer Science with AI at the University of York. Not reading headlines - actually studying the foundations, reading the papers, understanding what's real.

Business and technology fluency. As a Chartered Manager with a Business degree and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, I genuinely speak both languages. I've presented to boards and managed P&L alignment.

Current operational experience. I'm not an academic or consultant - I'm a practising CTO working as CTO across two technology organisations. I deal with real constraints, real budgets, and real trade-offs every day.

What You'll Find Here

This space will focus on four areas:

AI Decoded for Business Leaders - Translating complex AI concepts into practical business implications. No jargon, no hype - just honest analysis.
Digital Transformation Lessons - Drawing on two decades of experience to provide pattern recognition and hard-won wisdom.
Technology Strategy for Executives - Bridging the gap between technical teams and business leadership.
Leadership & Learning - The human side of technology leadership, including my journey through an MSc while working as CTO across two technology organisations.

The Honest Approach

I'll tell you what I know, acknowledge what I don't, and be upfront about where I'm still learning. I believe that intellectual honesty builds more trust than false confidence.

When I write about AI, I'll share what the research actually says - not what vendors want you to believe. When I don't have hands-on experience with something, I'll say so.

The goal isn't to position myself as an expert with all the answers. It's to be someone you can trust to help you ask better questions and make more informed decisions.