From Hype To Reality: Navigating AI In Business Transformation With Purpose

DTC is pleased to announce that we have published the book From Hype To Reality: Navigating AI In Business Transformation with Purpose by Dennis Tapfuma. The book is a concise guide for leaders navigating the AI era. It examines the tension between AI-first strategies, where artificial intelligence drives decision-making, and Business-first approaches, where organisational needs shape technology adoption. Drawing on interviews with industry leaders and real-world case studies, it reveals what truly works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid chasing hype in favour of delivering lasting business value. The book’s introduction below gives you a preview of what to expect.

Introduction

We are now in the thick of the AI hype cycle. LinkedIn feeds, business blogs and white papers are jam-packed with narratives asserting that AI will change the business landscape as we know it. Whether it’s global thought leadership white papers from major business consulting firms or SMEs churning out industry briefings about the future of business. There is no escaping this. AI is here to stay and nobody wants to be the next Blockbuster or Kodak.

AI Social media influencers are becoming household names overnight and dishing out golden promises that will supposedly transform your business world as you know it. From the holy grail of Agentic AI templates that can automate all back-office operations to scaling business networking and outreach using AI while you sleep and ultimately drive growth. It’s all a bit overwhelming for smaller businesses that are just trying to keep the lights on and understand the basics of the ever-evolving AI landscape.

Mid-level executives are being told to either reskill, jump on board or risk being left behind. Yet, for every headline-grabbing success story, there’s a quiet graveyard of abandoned AI pilots and costly failures that people prefer not to discuss. Many businesses are already beginning to experience AI fatigue as more proof-of-concept projects fall short of expectations. Is AI-first truly the game-changer it’s touted to be, or is it becoming another shiny distraction in the pursuit of tangible business impact?

One cannot help but reference the early dot-com era of the late 1990s when the business world was permeated with an overabundance of technology enthusiasm, uncertainty, and the precipitous need for companies to respond swiftly. The hype and buzz of that era led to costly initiatives that lacked focus and failed to deliver measurable benefits, ultimately contributing to the well-documented dot-com crash in the late 1990s. However, not all businesses perished. Some still survive today and have surpassed their expectations beyond anyone’s imagination. Think Amazon, eBay and many others.

In the 2010s, blockchain emerged and made huge promises about how every industry would be transformed by decentralisation. By 2017, many firms rebranded themselves with the term “blockchain” and saw their stock prices surge, even when they had little to no real connection to the technology or its practical application. Now, Blockchain seems to have taken a back seat, and the frenzy has died down. Like the dot-com era before it, there is an uncanny sense of déjà vu as AI takes centre stage.

History is at risk of repeating itself as companies chase the shiny object syndrome that is AI. Business leaders confront a crucial strategic question: do you go AI-first or Business-first? This short book attempts to take you beyond the hype, cut out the noise, and critically examine the prevailing transformation narratives of “AI-first” versus “Business-first.” The ‘Business-first’ approach prioritises the business needs and goals of customers over the adoption of new technologies, aiming to ensure that any technological transformation aligns with and supports the business strategy, providing a solid foundation for confident decision-making. The AI-first approach, on the other hand, embodies a start-from-zero mindset where AI is the foundational core of the business. AI is positioned as the central driver of innovation and operational excellence across the entire enterprise. It is the fundamental element in which all aspects of the business, including products, teams, and business models, are constructed.

We will explore in detail what AI-First really means, where it has succeeded and where it has failed. We will also explore the Business-First alternative, which some view as the traditionalist approach, and examine where this still provides intrinsic value. We will explore the AI hype cycle through a more nuanced theoretical lens, using Gartner’s well-known Hype Cycle model as a foundation. An interrogation of the AI-first vs Business-first debate will also be played out, leaving you to decide the strategic crossroads you choose to embark on. A selection of case studies from both AI-first and business-first approaches will examine the successes and failures of each. We will then culminate with the silver bullet, which proposes the panacea for those attempting to navigate this exciting landscape.

What if the true path to Transformation isn’t choosing sides but strategically blending innovation with pragmatic business outcomes? Join me as we navigate the complex intersection of technology ambition and business reality, revealing how visionary leaders can leverage AI not as an end in itself but as a powerful means to sustainable, meaningful business transformation.

Prepare to rethink Digital Transformation, not through the lens of buzzwords, but by understanding what genuinely moves the needle. By gaining this understanding, you can lead beyond the buzz with enlightenment and empowerment, inspiring a new way of prioritising business objectives in the age of AI.

From Hype To Reality: Navigating AI In Business Transformation With Purpose is now available from the following:

Amazon – https://amzn.eu/d/clW7HP9

Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/gb/book/from-hype-to-reality/id6747687725