Nearly every enterprise is experimenting with AI, yet few are turning pilots into measurable business outcomes. Why do so many organizations get stuck in "AI pilot purgatory"?
This week's VentureFuel Visionary is Pritam Bhattarai, Vice President of Innovation & Partnerships at VentureFuel.
In this episode, Pritam shares a practical framework for moving AI from experimentation to commercialization. He also explains why choosing the right business problem matters more than the technology itself, how to design pilots that drive adoption and impact, and why trust, governance, and organizational alignment are essential for scaling AI.
Whether you lead innovation, digital transformation, or AI strategy, this episode offers practical insights for building AI initiatives that create lasting business value.
Episode Highlights
- Why Most AI Pilots Never Scale – Pritam explains why so many enterprise AI initiatives get stuck in "pilot purgatory" and shares practical strategies for designing pilots that lead to measurable business outcomes.
- Applying Innovation Principles to AI – He discusses why successful AI adoption still depends on timeless innovation frameworks, from identifying the right business problem to selecting the right partner and commercialization path.
- Rethinking Procurement's Role in Innovation – Fred and Pritam explore why procurement, legal, and IT should be viewed as strategic partners instead of roadblocks, referencing insights from Fred's conversation with Serguei Netessine on the future of venture clienting.
- Building an AI-Ready Organization – Pritam shares how companies can better prepare for enterprise AI by creating centralized standards, empowering business units, and generating demand through a pull (not push) approach.
- The Shift Toward AI Opportunity Prioritization – The conversation also explores how organizations can identify high-value AI use cases, eliminate blind spots, and build a balanced portfolio of initiatives that are more likely to deliver measurable business impact.
VentureFuel builds and accelerates innovation programs for industry leaders. Contact us today to learn how we can help you unlock the power of External Innovation via startup collaborations to drive growth.
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VentureFuel builds and accelerates innovation programs for industry leaders by helping them unlock the power of External Innovation via startup collaborations.