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The AI Tech Lead Path
The path
1911 min read · 200 XP

The phased plan (now → 12 months)

Listen → quick win → paved road → scale → strategic.

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A sequence you can actually execute, from before the role starts to a durable, strategic position within a year.

Key ideas

  1. 1

    Phase 0 (now → start): lock the mandate, audit your gaps, productize one tool with evals, start key relationships.

  2. 2

    First 30 days: listen & map (don't propose yet), publish what you're hearing, land one low-risk quick win WITH a team, stand up the guild.

  3. 3

    30–90 days: ship the eval harness, POC the AI gateway, publish reference architecture + risk-triage template, recruit first champions, baseline metrics.

  4. 4

    3–6 months: scale to 3–5 teams across ≥2 BUs via champions, launch enablement, formalize governance v1, first red-team, first quarterly impact report.

  5. 5

    6–12 months: cross-BU roadmap, the model runs without you in every room, governance v2, build your brand, plan succession.

Phase 0 — before the role starts

  • Define the role with your sponsor in writing (mandate, scope, metrics).
  • Audit gaps; pick your 3 weakest high-impact areas (likely evals, AI-systems architecture, governance).
  • Productize one tool: eval harness + 2-page architecture doc + a cost number.
  • Coffee with one person each in Security, Privacy, Model Risk, Platform, and 2–3 leads in other BUs — listen.

Phases 1–4 — listen, build, scale, strategize

Sequence the work: listen & quick win → build the paved road → scale through champions & the guild → become strategic and durable. Never skip straight to scaling.

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Do the work

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Test yourself

Question 1 / 3

What should you do in your FIRST 30 days?

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