9Q / AI strategy framework
An AI strategy framework that starts with a map
A good AI strategy framework shows where AI should act in your organisation before it lists pillars or a roadmap. The 9Q Grid, created by Suhit Anantula, maps each AI initiative by how much the AI acts (Assist, Augment, Adapt) and the type of work (structured, dynamic, complex), so leaders can see the current portfolio, choose the next coherent moves and sequence them by trust.
The 9Q Grid is Suhit Anantula's map of AI agency and type of work. Read the 9Q Grid.
Assist / Augment / Adapt × structured / dynamic / complex
Why most AI strategies are wishes
"We need an AI strategy" isn't a strategy. It's a wish. A strategy requires a map. Pillars and roadmaps without a map of current position skip the hard question: where does AI act today, and where should it act next?
Portfolio positioning means: where are you now, where should you be next, and what sequence of moves gets you there.
The map: the 9Q Grid in one minute
Two axes. AI agency — Assist, Augment, Adapt — how much the machine does relative to the human. Type of work — structured, dynamic, complex — how predictable the work is. Nine quadrants from Q1 Operator to Q9 Conductor. Full detail on the 9Q Grid hub.
How to build an AI strategy on the map (5 steps)
- Plot the current initiatives (see how to prioritise AI use cases).
- Read the shape: which quadrants are crowded, which are empty, which are mislabelled.
- Choose your shape: name the failure trap you are in, then pick the strategic posture you will earn (Spear, Shield, Spiral or Star).
- Choose the target position: where you should be next and why — on the diagonal or off it on purpose.
- Sequence the moves by trust (trust gradient; AAA Licence chapter).
Start with prioritising use cases on the grid. For types of AI strategy and the trade-offs, see Strategic Shapes, then sequence with the AAA Licence.
Two banks, same destination
The book's "Tale of Two Banks" (public in Chapter 3) shows two organisations aiming for the same co-intelligent destination and taking different paths across the grid. One builds capability along a coherent sequence; the other jumps for high-agency outcomes without the trust to govern them. The story is illustrative, not a client case. Read it in Chapter 3 of The Co-Intelligent Organisation.
Choose your shape
Once initiatives are plotted, the portfolio forms a pattern. Three traps (Anchor, Shotgun, Drift) show an organisation that has not chosen. Four strategic shapes (Spear, Shield, Spiral, Star) are deliberate choices, each with a vulnerability you must govern. Full taxonomy: Strategic Shapes — types of AI strategy. Public case readings (not clients) are in the 9Q case library; the book chapter is Chapter 4.
We choose your shape by layering four things: your 9Q target, what AI has earned permission to do (trust, readiness gates, human override), your business model, and the competitor shape that would beat you, all tied to the weakness you are willing to govern.
Our strategy work gives you a shape map: your current shape, your target shape, and the shape that would beat you.
How 9Q fits with other AI strategy frameworks
| Kind of framework | What it does | What 9Q adds |
|---|---|---|
| Pillar models (Gartner-style) | Say what to build (data, people, tech, governance) | Shows where AI should act first |
| Roadmap templates | Sequence projects over time | Map before roadmap |
| Maturity models | Score progress on a ladder | 9Q is position, not progress — not a ladder |
| 9Q Grid | Map agency × type of work | Current portfolio, next move, trust sequence |
AI strategy template
One-page structure: current map → target map → three moves → trust and governance needed → stop/delete list. Use the 9Q canvas PDF.
FAQ
What is an AI strategy framework?
A repeatable way to decide where AI creates value and how to get there. 9Q starts with a map of where AI acts.
What are the four pillars of an AI strategy?
Frameworks differ. Many group the work into common areas like data, people, technology and governance. 9Q comes first: where AI should act.
What are the top AI strategy frameworks?
Think in categories — pillar models, maturity models, use-case matrices, and maps like 9Q — rather than a ranked list of vendor brands.
Is there an AI strategy template?
Yes: the one-page structure on this page plus the 9Q canvas PDF.
What's the difference between an AI strategy and an AI roadmap?
The strategy chooses position and direction; the roadmap sequences the moves. Map first, then roadmap.
What does an AI strategy example look like?
See the Tale of Two Banks in Chapter 3 and the library's public cases — labelled as public evidence, not clients.
Helix work in this area
The 9Q Grid was designed after Helix's work with RAA; we have since mapped RAA, City of Mitcham and our other client work onto it. Helix case studies ↗
Related questions
Continue the work
Turn your map into a next move.
Use the 5Ps to explore responses to what the map reveals, test a move and carry the learning into the next loop.
For AI software options, explore Agent Watch ↗.