The CTO's Guide to AI Implementation
The CTO's Guide to AI Implementation
From Pilot Projects to Production Systems: A Technical Leader's Framework for Successful AI Deployment
TL;DR
Get proven frameworks for Build vs Buy decisions, RAG vs Fine-Tuning trade-offs, security checklists, and vendor evaluation scorecards to move AI from pilot to production. This free 4-chapter guide covers build vs buy—the real tradeoffs, rag vs fine-tuning decision framework, security & compliance checklist, and more. Key insight: 87% (HatchWorks State of AI 2025).
Get proven frameworks for Build vs Buy decisions, RAG vs Fine-Tuning trade-offs, security checklists, and vendor evaluation scorecards to move AI from pilot to production.
What's Inside
Build vs Buy—The Real Tradeoffs
A modern decision framework beyond the traditional binary: Build, Buy, or Orchestrate.
RAG vs Fine-Tuning Decision Framework
When each approach makes sense for your use case, with clear decision tables.
Security & Compliance Checklist
A comprehensive pre-implementation audit covering data classification, access control, and governance.
Vendor Evaluation Scorecard
A systematic framework across five dimensions: technical capability, security, integration, TCO, and stability.
What Key Statistics Should You Know?
of organizations testing or using Gen AI
Source: HatchWorks State of AI 2025
Enterprise AI investment growth (more than doubled)
Source: HatchWorks State of AI 2025
of companies have appointed Chief AI Officers
Source: HatchWorks State of AI 2025
of IT teams using Gen AI in production
Source: HatchWorks State of AI 2025