---
title: "Why your AI pilot does not scale: pilot exit checklist"
slug: checklist-piloto-que-escala
lang: en
situation: operar
format: checklist
minutes: 10
video: 7
updated: 2026-10-19
---

# Why your AI pilot does not scale: pilot exit checklist

> For pilot owners stuck in "pilot" for more than a quarter who want to know what is missing before asking for budget to scale.

## When to use it

- The pilot went well, everyone applauded, and six months later it is still a trial.
- You are about to ask for budget to scale and do not know what you will be asked.
- You are asked to approve a new pilot and want to request in writing what the last one lacked.

## The sheet

Seven conditions; the first three are the ones that, in what I have seen, are almost always missing. A "No" means the pilot is not ready to ask for money, but ready to close that gap.

| # | Condition | Control question | Evidence that meets it | Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owner in the business | Who in the area that will use it answers for the result? Not someone in technology. | A name and a role from the area. | Yes / No |
| 2 | Number it was meant to improve | Which metric was defined before starting, and how much did it move? | Dated baseline and pilot measurement with the same scope. | Yes / No |
| 3 | Money for the day after | What does it cost to connect systems, train people and give support, and who budgeted it? | Approved or requested budget line, with an amount. | Yes / No |
| 4 | Process redesigned | Did the handoffs between people change, or was a tool just placed on top? | Process map before and after. | Yes / No |
| 5 | Data access | Does the tool reach real data with approved permissions, or did it work on a prepared sample? | Permissions and connections approved by IT and legal. | Yes / No |
| 6 | Review load measured | How many hours go into reviewing what the AI produces, and who pays for them? | Review hours per week, measured, not estimated. | Yes / No |
| 7 | Exit plan | If it is switched off, which data is recovered, which contract is closed and who takes the work back? | One page with steps and an owner. | Yes / No |

Score: ___ of 7 · If 1, 2 or 3 is missing, do not ask for budget yet · Date: ________ · Owner: ____________

## How to fill it in 10 minutes

1. Fill it with the pilot owner and someone from finance. Ten minutes, no slides.
2. Start with condition 1. If the only name that appears is from IT, you already know why it did not scale.
3. For condition 2, look for the baseline. If the metric was defined after the pilot, mark "No" even if the number looks good.
4. For condition 3, write the cost of the day after even if it is an estimate; if nobody budgeted it, the pilot stays where it is.
5. The most common mistake: using this sheet only at the end. Ask for the first three conditions in writing before approving the pilot; at the end you only verify them.

## The line that is almost always missing

Condition 3. A pilot is approved on the cost of the trial and stays a pilot because of the cost of what comes next: connecting systems, training people and giving support. Nobody budgeted it because nobody asked. Without that, the pilot is not a project; it is an expensive experiment.

## If this becomes a big decision

If scaling means a contract that is hard to reverse and carries your name, the free tools at vicsol.org/decision-clarity/ help you structure the decision. They do not replace a formal review.

---

Vic Sol · Decision Desk · vicsol.org/resources/ · Free to use with attribution.
This sheet structures a conversation; it is not legal, financial or audit advice.