---
id: "framework-question-first-ai"
type: "framework"
source_timestamps: ["¶39", "¶41", "¶42", "¶44"]
tags: ["artificial-intelligence", "implementation", "productivity"]
related: ["claim-ai-productivity-enabler", "prereq-pareto-principle"]
speakers: ["Indra Nooyi"]
steps: ["\\\"Assemble top minds to generate a comprehensive list of business questions which", "if answered", "would drive productivity", "lower costs", "or grow the top line.\\\"", "\\\"Apply the Pareto principle to this collection of questions to identify the top 3 or 4 most critical", "high-impact questions.\\\"", "Intelligently deploy AI specifically to answer those top 3 or 4 prioritized questions.", "\\\"Demonstrate concrete success (e.g.", "growing top line with fewer resources) to build organizational buy-in before scaling further.\\\""]
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2025/10/innovating-at-the-core-and-for-the-future"
source_title: "Innovating at the Core—and for the Future"
sources: ["futures"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-futures"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-cl-91-innovating-core-and-future"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/10/innovating-at-the-core-and-for-the-future"
sourceTitle: "Innovating at the Core—and for the Future"
---
# Question-First AI Implementation

A methodology to avoid the trap of *flailing* with massive, center-led AI investments that yield no ROI. Instead of starting with the technology, companies must start with business problems, prioritize them, and only then apply AI to solve the most valuable ones. It requires the [[prereq-pareto-principle]] and operationalizes [[claim-ai-productivity-enabler]].

**Steps.**
1. Assemble top minds to generate a comprehensive list of business questions which, if answered, would drive productivity, lower costs, or grow the top line.
2. Apply the **Pareto principle** to that collection to identify the top **3 or 4** most critical, high-impact questions.
3. Intelligently deploy AI specifically to answer those top 3 or 4 prioritized questions.
4. Demonstrate concrete success (e.g., growing the top line with fewer resources) to build organizational buy-in before scaling further.

**Enrichment.** Strongly supported by contemporary AI-strategy practice: consulting playbooks (BCG, Deloitte, McKinsey) stress use-case-first, value-driven prioritization over technology-first builds, and post-mortems of failed AI initiatives routinely cite the absence of a clear business question and ROI metric.


## Related across articles
- [[action-embed-core-operations]]
- [[action-identify-pilots]]