I Didn’t Plan to Write This Book

But then I saw too many leaders standing still.

A few months ago, I was with a group of senior leaders at a strategy offsite. Brilliant minds. Huge mandates. They were talking about Generative AI - with interest, even excitement - but also… hesitation.

“We know it’s important. But we don’t want to jump in without a clear strategy.”

I smiled. Not because it was funny. But because I’d heard this exact sentence in almost every workshop, boardroom, and cohort I’ve worked with over the last year.

And that’s when it clicked.

We don’t have an Gen AI skills gap. We have a momentum gap.

From Boardrooms to Sprints

Over the past 18 months, I’ve had the privilege of coaching over 30,000 professionals across sectors - from banks and startups to hospitals and government teams. I’ve facilitated 140+ AI workshops, led Live Kitchen sprints, and helped organisations build their first copilots, prompt libraries, and AI-fluent teams.

And the pattern was clear:

Leaders weren’t frozen because they didn’t get AI. They were frozen because they didn’t know where to start. Or worse - they were waiting for the dust to settle.

But here’s the thing: there is no post-AI normal. This isn’t a trend. It’s a shift in how we think, decide, and build.

So I wrote The Gen AI War Room as a response.

A Field Manual, Not a Framework

This isn’t a book of theory.

It’s a battle-tested playbook built from real sprints I’ve led across real orgs:

• A CFO who replaced a 6-week consulting engagement with a 48-hour AI plan

• A CHRO who trained a GenAI assistant to write job descriptions, emails, even feedback notes

• A founder who literally said: “I couldn’t afford a co-founder, so I prompted one.”

These aren’t feel-good anecdotes. These are decision moments. Moments that shift cultures, unlock speed, and build belief.

What Is a GenAI War Room?

At its core, it’s a 3-day sprint model that helps teams go from:

Friction → Prompt → Prototype → Playbook

It’s cross-functional. High intensity. Low bureaucracy. No waiting for policy decks. Just results.

We’ve used this approach with:

• Banking teams to automate onboarding

• HR teams to rewire internal ops

• CX teams to personalize customer experiences

• Startup founders to turn ideas into MVPs — in a weekend

Every time, it led to the same outcome: “This actually works. Let’s keep going.”

That’s the War Room effect. It builds belief through velocity.

Why I Had to Write This

Because I saw how quickly smart people get left behind when they wait.

I’ve worked on over 150 digital transformation projects and built 70+ custom GPTs for real-world use cases. I’ve seen what works in the wild - not just in white-papers. And I’ve seen how:

Most AI decks never translate into adoption.

So I poured everything I know — from the Six Bucket Model to mindset shifts to sprint templates — into this book.

Not to impress.

To equip.

If You’re a Leader, This Book Is for You

Whether you're a CXO, founder, educator, or policymaker - if you're responsible for making decisions, leading teams, or driving change, this book was written for you.

It will help you:

• Run your first AI sprint without needing permission or perfection

• Redesign team workflows with clarity and curiosity

• Build AI into the fabric of your org — not as a project, but as a practice

You don’t need to master AI. But you do need to move with it.

Some Ideas That Might Sting (But Are True)

“If your AI strategy is led by IT, it’s already dead.”

Yes, it’s uncomfortable. That’s the point. Because transformation isn’t a plan. It’s a decision.

What You’ll Actually Get in This Book

• 3-Day War Room Sprint Guide

• Six Bucket Model for prioritising AI efforts

• Prompt packs, sprint templates, and playbook

• Case stories that make it real

• Mental models for AI-native leadership

And more importantly - the confidence to start, and the tools to keep going.

My Hope for You

I don’t want you to just read this book.

I want you to:

• Run a 3-day War Room.

• Turn one use case into a working prototype.

• Build a prompt library with your team.

• Create a culture where it’s okay to try, fail, and try again.

Because in this era, the edge doesn't go to the smartest. It goes to the fastest learners and the boldest builders.

Final Word

I didn’t write this book to teach AI.

I wrote it because we’re at a tipping point.

Where velocity beats perfection. Where leadership is about curiosity, not control. Where clarity comes after you ship - not before.

So if you’re still waiting for the dust to settle, I’ll leave you with this:

The future won’t wait. Why should you?

Let’s move.

📘 Buy The Gen AI War Room →

Krishna Kumar CEO, GreenPepper + AI Generative AI Coach | Builder | Educator | Author of 'The Gen AI War Room'