The digital maturity of our participants varied significantly, from early innovators to late (and even non-) adopters, with some founders telling us they feel "behind the curve", grappling with the pace of change or unsure how to apply digital tools to their business.
As the conversation unfolded, it became clear that the challenge isn't becoming a tech company overnight. It is about practical application and embracing AI in order to better protect their business’ interests.
Key insights for entrepreneurs:
Navigate the cultural challenge of rapid change
The barrier to AI adoption is rarely just technical, it is emotional. Leaders must acknowledge internal resistance and foster a culture of self-learning to keep pace with a landscape that changes too fast for traditional training.
Build guardrails to empower your people
‘Shadow AI’ is already present in most businesses. The solution is not to ban it, but to provide the literacy and frameworks teams need to experiment safely and securely.
Focus on speed and evolution, not just transformation
For many sectors, the immediate value of AI lies not in radical reinvention, but in accelerating existing processes to free up human talent for high-value strategic work.
Navigate the cultural challenge of rapid change
Even within businesses that embed AI and technology into their operations, there are cultural barriers to AI adoption. We heard how resistance often stems from a feeling that technology is happening to employees, rather than for them.
There is an emotional journey involved in adapting to new tools. The sheer velocity of change – where looking even three years ahead feels challenging – means that traditional top-down training programmes are often too slow. By the time that training has been implemented, the technology has moved on.
The solution discussed was to shift the burden from formal instruction to encouraged self-learning. Leaders were advised to create excitement and space for teams to ‘tinker’ and share their findings. By identifying ‘AI champions’ within the business and encouraging knowledge sharing across teams, you can turn anxiety into curiosity. The goal is to move from a mindset of fear to one where employees feel ownership over their own upskilling.
Build guardrails to empower your people
But even within this environment of experimentation, AI presents a significant risk if left unmanaged. We heard that in many businesses, ‘shadow AI’ is already present. Employees are using AI tools to write emails or code, often without the knowledge or permission of leadership.
This creates exposure, particularly regarding data privacy and compliance. We heard a cautionary tale of corporate credentials being inadvertently shared with an entire contact list due to a lack of understanding of a tool's settings. This is why it matters for businesses to embrace some level of AI usage in certain roles, even if it may not provide a transformative business impact. Employees will use it, so leaders need to consider what literacy and guardrails are required to do so safely.
Entrepreneurs agreed on the need to educate teams on the risk, such as where data goes when it is entered into a public model, while simultaneously encouraging experimentation. If employees feel safe to explore these tools within a defined framework, they become the drivers of innovation, finding efficiencies that leadership might miss.
Focus on speed and evolution, not just transformation
For businesses in sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, or hardware, the disruption promised by AI can feel abstract. The most successful integrations we discussed didn't start with a desire to use AI, but to fix a specific friction point within the business.
The advice from the room was to strip back the technology and focus on process mapping. Where are the bottlenecks? Which workflows are the ‘clunkiest’? Which administrative tasks are eating up valuable hours that could be spent on strategy?
We heard examples of businesses using AI not to redesign their core product, but to drastically reduce the time spent on peripheral tasks. Whether it is reconciling invoices, transcribing meetings, or drafting marketing copy, the value lies in identifying the problem first. Once the inefficiency is isolated, AI simply becomes the tool to solve it.
By framing adoption through the lens of problem-solving rather than digital transformation, the task becomes less overwhelming, and the return on investment becomes immediately measurable.
Leading through advocacy
Though the technology is nascent, the principles of business in the AI era remain the same – efficiency, risk management, and empowering talent. Entrepreneurs who will succeed in this new landscape are those who remain curious, who share knowledge with their peers, and who look for practical, incremental gains rather than waiting for a silver bullet.
To continue this conversation and access further expertise, we invite you to join the Coutts Business Insights Programme. Together, we can help you navigate the changing landscape and ensure your business is positioned to lead.
