The Ai-First Company - by Ash Fontana (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

AI-First companies are the only trillion-dollar companies, and soon they will dominate even more industries, more definitively than ever before. These companies succeed by design--they collect valuable data from day one and use it to train predictive models that automate core functions. As a result, they learn faster and outpace the competition in the process. Thankfully, you don't need a Ph.D. to learn how to win with AI.

In The AI-First Company, internationally-renowned startup investor Ash Fontana offers an executable guide for applying AI to business problems. It's a playbook made for real companies, with real budgets, that need strategies and tactics to effectively implement AI. Whether you're a new online retailer or a Fortune 500 company, Fontana will teach you how to:

- Identify the most valuable data;
- Build the teams that build AI;
- Integrate AI with existing processes and keep it in check;
- Measure and communicate its effectiveness;
- Reinvest the profits from automation to compound competitive advantage.

If the last fifty years were about getting AI to work in the lab, the next fifty years will be about getting AI to work for people, businesses, and society. It's not about building the right software -- it's about building the right AI. The AI-First Company is your guide to winning with artificial intelligence.

Review Quotes

"An engaging read with important implications for the future of business. Whether you're launching a start-up or integrating emerging technologies into your existing company, Ash Fontana provides not only a comprehensive framework for understanding AI, but also practical advice for developing an 'AI-First' mindset."
--ERIC SCHMIDT, former executive chair and CEO of Google and cofounder of Schmidt Futures

"Fontana explains AI with untold pragmatism, and his practical analysis of how to get started with an AI-first mindset has the potential to reshape how we do business."
--CATHERINE LIVINGSTONE, AO, FAA, FTSE, chair of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney

"I've seen thousands of companies take on ambitious AI projects. Fontana's guide distills what works into the definitive playbook."
--ANTHONY GOLDBLOOM, cofounder and CEO of Kaggle

"Ash Fontana thinks about building companies in a really unique way. His ideas helped companies like ours get started, and now they're in a book for you to use too."
--MELANIE PERKINS, cofounder and CEO of Canva

"A must read for anyone who seeks to understand the history and future of AI, and, more importantly: how to apply it to business in a very tactical and direct way."
--TOM TUNGUZ, managing director of Redpoint Ventures and author of Winning with Data

"An indispensable guidebook for twenty-first-century business leaders. This is essential advice for everyone from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 CEOs."
--KIM POLESE, chair of CrowdSmart Inc. and founding product manager for Java

About the Author