Vol. VII — Writing
    The JournalEssays & Field Notes

    Practical writing on AI in the wild.

    Field notes from real engagements. Frameworks, postmortems, and the unglamorous discipline of shipping AI in production.

    Latest Articles

    Showing 28–36 of 64 essays

    How to Hire a Fractional Executive Without Regretting It
    Fractional Leadership··4 min read

    How to Hire a Fractional Executive Without Regretting It

    The engagements that fail were almost always scoped by hours instead of decisions. Here is how to structure one that works.

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    Who Should Own AI Governance in a Growing Company?
    AI Governance··4 min read

    Who Should Own AI Governance in a Growing Company?

    IT, legal and security all have a claim. Giving it to any of them produces a predictable failure, and so does giving it to all three.

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    Nine AI Vendor Red Flags Worth Walking Away From
    AI Strategy··4 min read

    Nine AI Vendor Red Flags Worth Walking Away From

    Some warning signs are worth a question. These nine are worth ending the conversation.

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    Data Readiness for AI: What Actually Has to Be True
    AI Strategy··4 min read

    Data Readiness for AI: What Actually Has to Be True

    Most companies are told they need a data platform before they can use AI. For most use cases, four narrower conditions matter far more.

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    A Chief AI Officer's First 90 Days, Done Properly
    AI Leadership··4 min read

    A Chief AI Officer's First 90 Days, Done Properly

    The first quarter decides whether the seat earns its place. Here is the sequence that works, and the launch that wastes it.

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    Fractional CFO vs Fractional CAIO: Which Seat First?
    Fractional Leadership··4 min read

    Fractional CFO vs Fractional CAIO: Which Seat First?

    Both are part-time executives on a retainer. They answer completely different questions, and the order you hire them in is usually obvious once you see it.

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    How to Find the Shadow AI Already in Your Company
    AI Governance··4 min read

    How to Find the Shadow AI Already in Your Company

    Your staff are already using AI you did not approve. Here are four ways to find out what, without turning it into an investigation.

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    Do You Need an AI Governance Committee? Probably Not Yet
    AI Governance··3 min read

    Do You Need an AI Governance Committee? Probably Not Yet

    Most AI governance committees are formed to look responsible and end up slowing decisions without reducing risk. Here is what to do instead.

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    Build vs Buy AI: A Decision Most Companies Get Backwards
    AI Strategy··4 min read

    Build vs Buy AI: A Decision Most Companies Get Backwards

    The build-versus-buy question is not about capability or cost. It is about whether the thing is a differentiator, and most companies answer it backwards.

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    FAQ

    Common questions

    What does this blog cover?
    AI strategy and leadership decisions for growing businesses: what a Chief AI Officer actually does, how to evaluate vendors, how to measure return, and why most AI projects fail. It is written for people deciding what to fund, not for people building models.
    How often is it updated?
    New pieces publish regularly, and existing ones are revised when the underlying facts change — pricing, market rates and vendor landscapes move quickly enough that stale posts become misleading rather than merely dated.
    Who writes it?
    Erin Moore, a fractional Chief AI Officer and U.S. Army veteran with an Executive MBA, an MS in Data Science and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Everything is written from the buyer's side of the table, which is where the work happens.
    Where should I start?
    If you are new to the topic, start with what a fractional Chief AI Officer does and why most AI projects fail. If you are already spending on AI, the posts on AI audits and measuring ROI will be more immediately useful.