AI agents are everywhere-from investment advisors to support reps-and while the hype is real, so are the pitfalls.

Over the last few years in my work at Appstuck, I’ve seen firsthand how promising AI projects can stall-not from lack of innovation, but because the business team wasn’t set up to succeed from the outset.

If you’re thinking about launching an AI agent to enhance customer experience, automate sales processes, or handle internal operations, here are a few hard-won truths worth knowing:

• It’s not plug-and-play. Many teams assume an AI agent can be fully functional from day one. In reality, most agents need structured data, workflow planning, and consistent prompts before they deliver real value.
• Your existing stack matters. Legacy systems, incomplete APIs, or a lack of structured content often limit what AI can do-before a single line of code is written.
• Define success in human terms. Productivity, lead qualification, or user satisfaction-clarify what “good” means before development begins. This helps your dev team design with purpose.
• Training never ends. AI agents learn, iterate, and get better over time-but only if someone’s monitoring their performance and retraining as needed.

Non-technical teams don’t need to become AI engineers-but understanding these foundations will help you ask the right questions and avoid costly missteps.

A solid foundation makes even the most visionary idea achievable.

If you’re navigating an AI project (or stuck in one), feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to share insights or brainstorm next steps with you.