Still on the platform? Why it’s time to get on the AI train

While everyone’s talking about AI, far fewer are actually doing something with it. The reason? Most businesses are still waiting. Waiting for the perfect tool. Waiting for clear ROI. Waiting to see who else moves first and whether it pays off for them.

But as our CIO, Mark Probert recently put it, “That’s the problem.”

Because while you're standing on the platform waiting for the "right moment", your competitors are already on board. They're heading up the mountain, collecting learnings, testing solutions, and building internal momentum. And by the time you decide to move, they'll be three stops ahead.

There’s no perfect tool. There’s no guaranteed ROI.

And that’s exactly why you need to move now.

We’re in a unique phase where the biggest barrier to AI adoption isn’t technology, it’s uncertainty. Yes, we’re building AI-powered systems across industries like insurance, logistics, and climate innovation. But no agency (or business, for that matter) can point to 18 months of long-term ROI data yet. It’s simply too early.

That lack of "proof" is creating a false sense of safety: “If we wait a bit longer, we’ll know what works and we’ll do it better.”

But here’s the truth: It’s not just about what you build, it’s about when you start building.

The real value is in the journey, not just the destination

There’s a reason Mark keeps using the metaphor of a train journey. Getting ahead in AI doesn’t happen with a single project or tool. It happens through iterations, lessons, testing, and internal capability-building.

In other words, if you’re not on the train, you’re not collecting the learnings that will make you faster and smarter down the line. You won’t magically catch up by copying what others did because you won’t have travelled their route.

You don’t need to spend big to get started

This doesn’t mean you need to launch a full-blown AI product tomorrow. Start small.

• Run an innovation workshop

• Explore how your teams are already using tools like ChatGPT

• Do a data audit to identify automation opportunities

• Build a quick prototype

• Test a new internal workflow

Whether you’re an SME or an enterprise, AI doesn’t have to be expensive. But doing nothing? That will be.

🚂 Ready to move?

If you’re still on the platform, this is your sign. You don’t need all the answers. You just need to start. At New Icon, we help organisations take their first confident steps into AI with the tools, the thinking, and the prototypes to prove what’s possible.

Want to see what’s next? 

Let’s get on the train together. Book a free 30-minute discovery call.