Not Just Another Model

Not Just Another Model is for those who have discovered that corporate AI is less about mathematical brilliance and more about organisational archaeology: excavating real problems buried beneath layers of political sediment, building bridges between technical possibility and business reality, and accepting that sometimes the most valuable skill is knowing when not to build an AI solution at all.

Creating a successful AI product not only depends on technical competence but far more on business acumen, political savvy, and the judgment to know when AI is the answer and when it is not. That judgment cannot be reduced to a flowchart or automated into a decision tool. It emerges from experience, from understanding both what is technically possible and what is organisationally achievable, from learning to navigate the space between these boundaries.

Building that judgment is what this book is actually about. Its frameworks as well as threshold and assessment tools provide structure for decisions that ultimately require human wisdom. Its case studies and examples illustrate patterns familiar across businesses. These hard-won lessons are written to save organizations from all-too-common failures. They can help foster the business acumen, political savvy, and judgment to know when a new AI product really is the right solution.

The book helps understand two realities: what AI can genuinely achieve and what corporate environments can genuinely absorb. It provides frameworks for navigating between them. The book helps develop the judgment that transforms practitioners who create impressive demonstrations into practitioners who deliver lasting impact. That transformation is neither quick nor easy. But it is possible, and it is valuable, and it is what separates the projects that quietly succeed from the projects that quietly disappear.

Costanza Balboni Cestelli is a technology executive and data scientist with over a decade of international experience spanning the consumer goods, technology, and real estate sectors. She has led complex innovation and transformation programs across Europe, Latin America, and Asia, combining deep technical expertise with strategic vision to deliver measurable impact.

She currently serves as Head of Data Intelligence and Innovation at Generali Real Estate, where she leads the firm's AI strategy and advanced analytics efforts. She is the creator of City Forward®, an AI-powered location intelligence platform transforming real estate investment decision-making. Prior to her current role, she held positions at Ericsson, Ferrero, and KPMG Advisory, and served as a quantitative economist for various international organizations and governing bodies.