essay9 JUL 2026
The CAIO Paradox
I never created a Chief AI Officer role on my team. Here's what I did instead — and why the title was never the point.
Read →Home / Writing
WRITINGTHINK OUT LOUD.
WRITING.
Essays on AI, growth, and operating in private equity environments. Long-form when the idea earns it. Short when it doesn't.
By Yannic Desch · Berlin
Essays
essay2 JUL 2026
Why AI Pilots Die
We ran four AI pilots in 18 months. Three died before production. The pattern is consistent — and it's not a technology problem.
Read →essay18 JUN 2026
The Agent That Was Perfect in Testing
Agents don't fail like software. They drift. Here's what every deployed agent needs before it leaves testing — and why ownership matters more than monitoring.
Read →essay18 JUN 2026
Starting Here
Why I finally built a home for my thinking — and what you'll find here.
Read →essay11 JUN 2026
The Question That Separates the 20% from the 80%
74% of AI's economic gains go to just 20% of companies. The gap isn't budget or talent. It's the question they started with.
Read →essay8 JUN 2026
85% Have Access. 25% Use It. Here's What the Gap Is Actually Telling You.
Most companies have deployed AI tools. Most employees aren't using them. The gap is a workflow problem, not a technology problem.
Read →essay8 JUN 2026
The Question That Changes Everything: AI-Enabled or AI-Native?
60% of companies report minimal value from AI despite significant investment. That's not a technology problem. That's a question problem.
Read →essay15 MAY 2026
Microsoft's Last Moat Wasn't Features. It Was Friction.
How AI dissolved Microsoft Office's three competitive moats — format lock-in, muscle memory, and ecosystem gravity — and why Copilot doesn't solve the real threat. A framework for understanding AI's impact on software incumbents.
Read →essay1 MAY 2026
The Agent Orchestrator: The Hire Most Companies Are Missing
The Agent Orchestrator: why PE-backed companies need a dedicated AI adoption role embedded in the business — not in IT. The hire that accelerates AI implementation 5x, measured in EBITDA impact rather than deployment count.
Read →essay24 APR 2026
The First Rung Is Gone. And What Comes Next Worries Me More.
Entry-level job postings are down 35% since 2023. AI is removing the grunt work where judgment develops — creating an experience gap that won't show up in the workforce until 2030. Research from Harvard, King's College London, McKinsey, and the WEF.
Read →essay15 APR 2026
The AI Compounding Framework: Three Phases, In This Order
A three-phase AI implementation framework for PE-backed companies: Plant (internal automation to free margin), Build (internal AI capability), Harvest (revenue impact). Why skipping phases is the most expensive AI strategy mistake in private equity.
Read →Notes
note2 JUL 2026
Mein erster Podcast: KI, Sichtbarkeit und Vertrauen in der Bestattungsbranche
Live auf der FORUM BEFA 2026 in Düsseldorf: Gespräch mit den Ranking Köchen über KI-Marketing, Gedenkportale und was Sichtbarkeit für Bestattungsunternehmen heute wirklich wert ist.
Read →note20 MAR 2026
The Leaner Stack Paradox: Why Small Companies Move Faster on AI
Why SMBs move faster on AI than enterprises: one database, no integration debt, no steering committee. The Leaner Stack Paradox explains why the simplicity that makes small companies feel 'behind' on technology is exactly what lets them win on AI adoption speed.
Read →note1 MAR 2026
Prototypes, Not Powerpoints
Why building AI prototypes beats writing AI presentations — and how hands-on building is the only real AI curriculum for executives. Two concrete examples: image-based analysis and a voice assistant for tradespeople built with Twilio, ChatGPT, and Railway.
Read →note1 JAN 2025
Willkommen
Der erste Post auf yannicdesch.com — und warum ich diese Site gebaut habe.
Read →