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Team Build
Building Your First AI Team
Sequencing the first five hires so an AI function can actually deliver.
· 5 min read
The order in which an AI function is built has more influence on its success than the total headcount. Hiring research capability before delivery capability is the most common and most expensive sequencing error.
A workable sequence
A senior engineer who can deliver end to end, followed by data engineering capability, followed by applied science, gives a team the ability to ship early and learn from real usage.
Leadership is best introduced once there is enough delivery to lead — although in regulated environments, governance ownership may need to come sooner.