Answer
A weekly sales summary pilot ran but never scaled. Data 2, people 2, approval 1, sponsor 3.
Start · Stage 1 of 5
Know where to begin before you spend on AI.
Ten questions, about 10 minutes. Score your readiness on data, people, approval, and sponsor. Leave with one first move, the stage that delivers it, and a starter governance checklist.
Who it is for
For the leader who has to commit money to AI.
The first spend, a restart after a pilot that stalled, or a response to a competitor that has moved.
The problem it solves: most first AI moves are picked by guesswork. The budget goes to the loudest idea, and the pilot stalls on something nobody checked: the data, the people, the approval path, or the sponsor. Start checks those four first, from your own answers, before you commit capital.
Expected inputs
Your situation, your role and sector, where AI could help first, what success looks like in 90 days, and one question each on data, people, approval, and sponsor. No uploads and no money figures.
What you receive
One first move, and the stage that delivers it.
- A readiness index from 0 to 100, with a score from 0 to 4 for each factor.
- One recommended first move, the factor to fix first, and the next stage: Size, Scan, or Score.
- A starter governance checklist of eight controls, with space for an owner and a review date.
- A short AI-drafted summary, checked against your own numbers. Five AI credits are included.
- A progress scorecard that shows your index rise as you confirm work in later stages.
- A two-page branded PDF card.
Your US$49 counts toward the next stage
Buy Size, Scan, or Score within 30 days of your Start purchase and pay the difference only. The step-up offer appears inside your Start workspace.
If you go on to Score, your Start answers fill its first page.
Worked example
A pilot that stalled on approval.
Fictional retail operations lead. It illustrates the method only. It is not a customer result.
Score
Readiness index 50 out of 100: ready with gaps to close. Approval is the factor to fix first.
First move
Build the business case for one AI initiative before asking for budget. Next stage: Size.
Govern
The starter checklist marks six of eight controls to create, starting with a written approval path.
Assumptions and limitations
A self-assessment, not an audit.
Start scores your own answers. It does not inspect your systems, data, or policies. The governance checklist names gaps from your answers and does not audit them. Score audits governance with evidence.
No professional advice and no guaranteed outcomes. We do not guarantee any commercial, financial, operational, marketing, employment, or regulatory outcome. See Responsible AI and Use of Outputs in the Terms.
Common questions
Do I have to buy the stages in order?
No, but the suite is built to run in order. Start tells you which stage to take next.
Who can see my answers?
Only the signed-in account that saved them. Database rules block other accounts.
What does AI do in Start?
AI drafts the summary paragraph from your scores. It never sets a score or changes your first move, and you can turn AI help off.
Does buying Start unlock other stages?
No. Each stage is licensed separately. Start credits US$49 toward one next stage within 30 days.
Support and refunds
Questions about access, payment, or your assessment go through the Support page. We reply by email within 2 business days. Refunds follow the Refund Policy.