Happy New Year. Let's skip the predictions.
Here's the only number that matters heading into 2026:
6%
GENERATING REAL IMPACT
85% of enterprises use AI. The gap is widening.
That's the percentage of companies actually seeing AI hit the bottom line, according to McKinsey's latest State of AI research.
85% of enterprises now use AI in at least one business function. But only 6% qualify as "high performers" with meaningful EBIT impact.
Most companies are using AI to automate their inefficiencies faster. Read that again.
Everyone's buying AI. Almost nobody is transforming with it.
WHY THE GAP IS WIDENING
Three patterns show up in every company stuck in the 94%:
01 Adding Tools vs. Redesigning Work
They're buying copilots. Launching pilots. Adding "AI-powered" to the pitch deck. But they're layering AI on top of broken processes.
The 6% redesign workflows from scratch. They ask: "If we built this function today, with AI at the core, how would it work?"
02 The Pilot Trap
42% of companies abandoned most of their AI initiatives in 2025. That's up from 17% the year before. We're getting worse at this, not better.
The 6% skip the endless pilot. They get to production in weeks, build trust through evidence, and expand from there.
03 Innovation Theater vs. Commercial Outcomes
The 94% set "efficiency" as the goal. The 6% set growth and innovation as the goal. That's not semantics. McKinsey found high performers are 3x more likely to aim for transformation, not just cost savings.
High performers don't ask "where can we add AI?" They ask "where can we reinvent how work gets done?" That's the difference.
THE DIAGNOSTIC
Five questions to figure out which camp you're in:
Do you have AI pilots "in progress" for more than 6 months?
Can you name the specific revenue impact of your 2025 AI investments?
Does your AI strategy live in IT, or connect to commercial outcomes?
Have you fundamentally redesigned any workflow around AI, or just added tools to existing processes?
Can you validate a new concept in days, not months?
Three or more "no" answers? 2026 needs to look different.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
Pick ONE pilot that's been stuck and ask: "What would it take to get this to production in 30 days?"
Not the ideal roadmap. Not additional resources. Just: what's the minimum viable path to real output?
The 6% don't wait for perfect conditions. They move.
FROM THE PORTFOLIO
Board of Innovation just released their Autonomous Growth OS framework. If you're building your 2026 AI strategy, it's worth a quick read.
If you're honest with yourself, are you actually ready for 2026?
At HauerX Holdings, we're on a mission to make AI-native growth the standard for every enterprise.
If any of this resonated, or you have ideas for partnering, I'd love to hear from you.
Talk Tuesday,
Jason Hauer
Founder & CEO, HauerX Holdings
jason@hauerX.com
Jason Hauer is the founder and CEO of HauerX Holdings, where he backs and builds a portfolio of AI-native companies that accelerate how businesses grow, operate, and compete. From mid-market to Fortune 500.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that only 6% of enterprises are seeing AI hit the bottom line?
McKinsey's latest State of AI research found that 85% of enterprises use AI in at least one business function, but only 6% qualify as "high performers" with meaningful EBIT impact. Everyone is buying AI. Almost nobody is transforming with it. The gap is widening because most companies are using AI to automate their inefficiencies faster instead of redesigning how work gets done.
What separates the 6% from the 94% stuck in pilot purgatory?
Three patterns. The 6% redesign workflows from scratch, asking "if we built this function today with AI at the core, how would it work?" They skip the endless pilot and get to production in weeks. And they set growth and innovation as the goal, not just efficiency. McKinsey found high performers are 3x more likely to aim for transformation, not just cost savings.
What is 'pilot purgatory' in enterprise AI?
Pilot purgatory is the state where AI initiatives stay in proof-of-concept for months or years without reaching production. 42% of companies abandoned most of their AI initiatives in 2025, up from 17% the year before. We're getting worse at this, not better. The 6% skip the endless pilot, get to production in weeks, build trust through evidence, and expand from there.
How do you tell if your company is in the 6% or the 94%?
Five diagnostics. Do you have AI pilots "in progress" for more than 6 months? Can you name the specific revenue impact of your 2025 AI investments? Does your AI strategy live in IT, or connect to commercial outcomes? Have you fundamentally redesigned any workflow around AI, or just added tools to existing processes? Can you validate a new concept in days, not months? Three or more "no" answers means 2026 needs to look different.
What's the fastest way to move from AI experimentation to AI transformation?
Pick one pilot that's been stuck and ask: "What would it take to get this to production in 30 days?" Not the ideal roadmap. Not additional resources. The minimum viable path to real output. The 6% don't wait for perfect conditions. They move. One initiative shipped is more transformative than ten in committee review.
