REAL Talk With Sam Holcman

Thought Leader – Thought Mimicker – Cult Follower: Who are you actually hearing?

A thought leader is an authority figure recognized for their expertise in a specific field, often leading discussions and sharing insights that influence their industry. They are known for their ability to innovate and drive change, and they have a significant impact on their community.  Self-declaration does not make someone a thought leader.  Who are you actually getting information from?

Data for AI - Building New Age Architecture

Data drives Artificial Intelligence - not the other way around. It is the foundation upon which AI systems are built and the fuel that determines how powerful, accurate, and innovative they can become. The phrase “Data for AI” captures this reality: without high-quality, strategic data, AI cannot function effectively. Developing a data architecture that prioritizes data at the core unlocks agility, insight, and competitive advantage in the era of intelligent automation.

AI and REAL Enterprise Architecture

AI, driven by hype cycles, is disrupting and in many ways undermining the value of REAL (Realistic, Enabling, Actionable, Logical) Enterprise Architecture - turning a professional discipline into yet another fleeting trend much like previous waves of tool-centric or automation-driven approaches. Instead of enabling architectural vision, the rush to “AI everything” is exposing existing weaknesses and, for many organizations, acting as a costly distraction rather than a true solution.

Why Real Enterprise Architects and Business Architects Ignore the AI Hype Machine

AI is everywhere - on every page, in every boardroom pitch, and across every trend report. But as any seasoned leader and practitioners know, what creates lasting competitive edge is not the technology buzzword of the moment. It is having an operating model that empowers smart choices, no matter what tool is in play.
In this broadcast, I want to challenge the status quo: It is not “AI-powered strategy” that drives transformation. It is strategy-powered architecture - built through proven Enterprise Architecture (EACOE) and Business Architecture (BACOE).

Prompt Engineering or Prompt Manipulation - A Critical Look at How We Shape AI Responses

The term “prompt engineering” has become popular in recent years to describe the process of carefully designing inputs - known as prompts - for large language models (LLMs). The phrase suggests that prompting is a deliberate, technical process similar to real engineering disciplines such as civil engineering, electrical engineering, or software engineering. Yet, when examined more closely, “engineering” may not be the most accurate word.

The Executive and CIO’s and Your Risks of Over-Reliance on AI in Enterprise Architecture

Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been touted to result in dramatic increases in productivity and consistency throughout Enterprise Architecture practices. However, our experience with our clients demonstrates that excessive dependence on AI-driven support - particularly for critical decisions - can bring significant risks to business operations and strategic integrity.

Human Consume-ability of EA and BA Deliverables

Enterprise Architectures and Business Architectures often suffer from a common problem: the outputs produced by architecture teams may be technically accurate, possibly methodologically sound, and rigorously documented - yet they remain unusable for the decision-makers, stakeholders, and business leaders who most depend on them. This issue, known as Human Consume-ability, highlights the gap between creating models and architectures, and delivering insights that can be readily understood, trusted, and acted upon across organizational boundaries.

Moving from AI to OI

AI - Artificial Intelligence.  OI - Original Intelligence.  While AI can excel at processing vast amounts of data and identifying patterns, Original Intelligence allows humans to recognize when solutions need to deviate from established norms or when data is incomplete or misleading.  Learn more in this Broadcast

Learning from Information Technology Implementation Failures

There is always a lot that we can learn from successful technology and software developments. There is also a lot we can learn, unfortunately, from technology and software development “failures”.  In analyzing over twenty well-documented and publicized failures, one fundamental issue came through loud and clear. A major mismatch between the enterprise data representations and processes, and the vendor’s data representations and processes.  There is a pretty straightforward way to address this situation.

The Danger of AI – Anything you say to AI can be used against you

Yes, anything you say to AI can be used against you, including things that you thought were deleted.  Yes, hitting the delete button or key really does not do anything.  Let me translate.  Public facing AI and associated models are “dangerous”.  EAI – (Enterprise Augmented Information) – AI within the boundary of your Enterprise is the answer.  Please listen.  And we can help.