Step 1: Conduct the Tribal Census

The first step in applying the Three Tribes Framework: Conduct the Tribal Census. For every AI initiative, ask “Where did this idea originate?”

The Core Exercise

Review all active AI projects. Tag each by origin:

• Explorer origin: “Let’s try this new thing” – Bottom-up innovation
• Automator origin: “We need to scale this” – Operational demand
• Validator origin: “Is this safe and compliant?” – Risk-driven mandate

Calculate Your Percentages

Compare to target:

The Diagnostic Signal

If most initiatives start with Explorers but few reach production, you have a handoff problem.

This is the most common pattern: 70-85% of AI initiatives fail in the transition from exploration to production.

What to Look For

• Explorer-heavy: Many experiments, few in production
• Automator-heavy: Scaling efficiently, but missing new waves
• Validator-heavy: Safe and compliant, but falling behind

Once you know your pattern, you can design the right intervention.

This is part of a comprehensive analysis. Read the full analysis on The Business Engineer.