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Frameworks

Actionable frameworks extracted from each chapter of Blueprint for an AI-First Company. Each framework is a standalone reference you can use immediately.

flowchart TB
    subgraph Strategy["Strategy and Positioning"]
        S1["AI-First vs AI-Enabled"]
        S2["Build vs Buy Calculus"]
        S3["10 Principles of AI-First"]
        S4["7 Mental Models"]
    end

    subgraph Building["Building and Technical"]
        B1["Foundation Models"]
        B2["6 Questions for Model Selection"]
        B3["8 Patterns for AI Coding"]
        B4["7 Failure Modes of Agents"]
        B5["5 Infrastructure Mistakes"]
    end

    subgraph Data["Data and Competitive Advantage"]
        D1["Data Flywheel"]
        D2["Data Moats"]
        D3["6 Data Strategy Mistakes"]
    end

    subgraph Operations["Operations and Teams"]
        O1["Automation vs Augmentation"]
        O2["Human-AI Collaboration"]
        O3["8 GTM Mistakes with AI"]
        O4["90-Day AI Fluency Program"]
    end

    subgraph Governance["Governance and Risk"]
        G1["Permission Model"]
        G2["AI Governance"]
        G3["7 AI Risks and Mitigations"]
        G4["Probabilistic AI"]
    end

    Strategy --> Building
    Strategy --> Data
    Building --> Operations
    Data --> Operations
    Operations --> Governance
    Building --> Governance

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    style Strategy fill:#5a6878,stroke:#155a85,color:#fff
    style Building fill:#5a6878,stroke:#5b3590,color:#fff
    style Data fill:#5a6878,stroke:#14693e,color:#fff
    style Operations fill:#5a6878,stroke:#946208,color:#fff
    style Governance fill:#5a6878,stroke:#921e1e,color:#fff

All Frameworks

Framework Source Chapter Use When...
AI-First vs AI-Enabled Ch 1: The AI-First Imperative Determining whether your company should be built on AI or with AI
7 Mental Models of AI-First Ch 2: The AI-First Mindset Adopting the thinking patterns that define AI-first leadership
Probabilistic AI Ch 2: The AI-First Mindset Designing products and processes that embrace uncertainty
Build vs Buy Calculus Ch 2: The AI-First Mindset Deciding whether to buy, boost, or build AI capabilities
Human-AI Collaboration Ch 2: The AI-First Mindset Designing workflows where humans and AI are genuinely additive
Foundation Models Ch 3: The AI Landscape Understanding the model landscape and choosing between providers
6 Questions Before Choosing a Model Ch 3: The AI Landscape Evaluating and selecting AI models for your use case
5 Infrastructure Mistakes Ch 4: Infrastructure Auditing your AI infrastructure for common failure patterns
8 Patterns for AI Coding Ch 5: Building with AI Writing effective prompts and working with AI coding tools
7 Failure Modes of Agents Ch 6: Agent Architecture Designing resilient AI agents and preventing common failures
90-Day AI Fluency Program Ch 8: Teams Rolling out AI fluency training across your organization
Data Flywheel Ch 9: Data Strategy Building self-reinforcing data loops that compound over time
Data Moats Ch 9: Data Strategy Assessing whether your data creates defensible advantages
6 Data Strategy Mistakes Ch 9: Data Strategy Avoiding mistakes that stall your data flywheel
Automation vs Augmentation Ch 10: Operations & GTM Deciding where AI should automate vs augment human work
8 GTM Mistakes with AI Ch 10: Operations & GTM Avoiding go-to-market mistakes when deploying AI
Permission Model Framework Ch 11: Ethics & Governance Setting appropriate autonomy levels for AI systems
AI Governance Framework Ch 11: Ethics & Governance Building governance structures that enable rather than block
7 AI Risks and Mitigations Ch 11: Ethics & Governance Identifying and mitigating the top AI risks
10 Principles of AI-First Ch 12: Staying Ahead Applying enduring principles as AI technology evolves

How to Use These Frameworks

Each framework follows a consistent structure:

  • Overview — Why this framework matters and when to apply it
  • The Framework — The complete framework with all items, examples, and data
  • How to Use This — Practical guidance for immediate application
  • Related Frameworks — Cross-references to connected frameworks
  • Deep Dive — Link back to the full chapter for additional context

Start with the framework most relevant to your current challenge. Use the "Related Frameworks" links to explore connected concepts.

By Topic

Strategy & Positioning - AI-First vs AI-Enabled - Build vs Buy Calculus - 10 Principles of AI-First

Building & Technical - Foundation Models - 6 Questions Before Choosing a Model - 8 Patterns for AI Coding - 7 Failure Modes of Agents - 5 Infrastructure Mistakes

Data & Competitive Advantage - Data Flywheel - Data Moats - 6 Data Strategy Mistakes

Operations & Teams - Automation vs Augmentation - Human-AI Collaboration - 8 GTM Mistakes with AI - 90-Day AI Fluency Program

Governance & Risk - Permission Model Framework - AI Governance Framework - 7 AI Risks and Mitigations - 7 Mental Models of AI-First - Probabilistic AI

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