Boss Returns From AI Conference With Solution but No Problem.

AI conferences are great for hype. Not so great for defining problems. The classic leadership trap.

Author

Glenda Carnate
July 24, 2026

Read time: 2.5 minutes

The boss went to an AI conference and now believes that AI can do everything. The team says to him: "Can we identify the problem first?" Silence…

3 Ways to Avoid the "AI Solution Looking for a Problem" Pitfall

1. Determine the problem before the solution.
❌ Chasing after AI just because it's trendy.
✅ Asking the question "What specific business issue do we want to solve?"
The best AI is the one that deals with a real problem.

2. Do not allow hype from the conference to steer your strategy.
❌ Getting excited about each AI presentation seen.
✅ Questioning yourself: "Is this really applicable to my business?"
Hype may fade away, but problems will stay.

3. Evaluate your boss's understanding of the "why."
❌ Following the boss's AI instructions blindly.
✅ Asking the question "What do we want to achieve in the end?"
If they can't explain it, don't do anything.

💡Key Takeaway: 

AI conferences are excellent at providing inspiration, but not at enabling strategy formation. Always make sure to understand the problem first before you look for a solution.

👉 LIKE this if you’ve ever had your boss come back from a conference with an answer for a problem that hasn’t been defined.

👉 SUBSCRIBE now for a weekly dose of leadership and AI truth.

👉 Follow Glenda Carnate so you don’t waste any more time looking for problems to go along with AI hype.

👉 COMMENT "DEFINE" with the worst answer to undefined problems you’ve ever encountered.

👉 SHARE this with a colleague to help them see the need to define the problem first.

Reply

or to participate.