As 2024 wraps up, I’ve been reflecting on the whirlwind year we’ve had in the AI space. Working on four AI projects—from scrappy seed-stage startups to massive enterprises weaving AI into their product portfolios—has been nothing short of exhilarating. Designing prompts, testing user feedback, watching results come to life—it’s been a wild ride. The pace of design and development at this level is electrifying, and it’s hard not to feel optimistic about the future. That said, I’ve noticed a pattern with some tech teams. There’s so much excitement around what LLMs, RAGs, and generative models can do that the focus sometimes drifts away from what customers actually want or need. It’s a blind spot that’s easy to fall into, but it has real consequences. The numbers don’t lie: 85% of AI startups fail within their first three years. And when you look closer, the reasons are all too familiar. The Big Pitfalls: 1. No Real Market Demand A staggering 42% of startups fail because they’re solving problems no one really cares about. It’s all too easy to get lost in the coolness of the tech without asking the hard questions: Does this actually help anyone? 2. Crushing Competition AI is a crowded space, and standing out gets tougher every day. Tech alone isn’t enough—you need a razor-sharp focus on differentiation and a killer story to back it up. 3. User Experience as an Afterthought So many teams are led by brilliant technologists and engineers who pour everything into building powerful systems. But if the product is too confusing or clunky for real people to use? Game over. UX/UI can’t be optional; it’s the difference between a shiny idea and something that people actually adopt. Looking to 2025 I’m so excited to see how these projects evolve as they scale, especially in B2B and enterprise spaces where the stakes (and the opportunities) are massive. Moving from R&D budgets to real-world adoption will separate the truly impactful solutions from the noise. The energy and momentum in the AI space feel unstoppable right now, but 2025 holds something deeper—a shift in how we design, build, and deliver value. I can’t wait to dive in, get messy, and design for the future with customers at the center. There’s so much to learn, create, and improve. #FutureOfWork #ArtificialIntelligence #UXDesign #BusinessStrategy #BusinessGrowth
SAMUEL WIJK
1w
So many words of wisdom here vladimir! Thanks for the wrap up 🙏
Daniel Swann
1w
Great insights vladimir khokhlov . Spot on. 🙌🏼
It's so exciting to read the insights that reflect and resonate with my thoughts.
Wholeheartedly agree!
Product & Delivery Director
1wGreat point on the experience vladimir khokhlov . The paradigm still seems to be 'chat' or a derivative of it. Definitely a useful interface but not for every application of AI. We need to break out of that mindset and focus on ensuring the output drives/ solves the user outcome / business problem which links to your point 1. There's too much let's do AI rather than - we have this problem will AI help us solve it? It not the tech its the questions leading to it. They tend to be the asking the wrong questions. Which is pretty much the basis of failure not just for AI projects but all digital software projects/applications that dont deliver value.