Books / AI First Business
Businesses do not need more AI. Businesses need to be rebuilt around AI.
The question in the boardroom is no longer “Does AI matter?”. The question is where to start, what to invest in first, and how to prove the investment pays off. AI First Business answers exactly those three questions, with tools to act on right away.
AI First Business: Rebuilding the enterprise in the AI era. By Trần Tấn Sỹ. Ho Chi Minh City Economic Publishing House.
AI First Business: Rebuilding the enterprise in the AI era is a book by Trần Tấn Sỹ for business leaders. It shows how to move from scattered use of AI tools to rebuilding strategy, organization and processes around AI, using the Adopt – Adapt – Advance framework, with four AI-Native business models, two-tier ROI, AI agent governance, and the EAR Index™ tool with a 90-day roadmap. Published by the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Publishing House.
Most AI investment is being burned on patchwork.
Companies buy tools, bolt them onto old ways of working, then are disappointed when they see no results. Independent studies by RAND, MIT, Gartner and S&P Global all point to the same thing: most enterprise AI projects have not created measurable value, and the cause is not the technology. The cause is the lack of goals, the lack of an accountable owner and the lack of measurement. The book calls this the bolt-on trap, and shows the way out.
The book helps you decide
- Which process that now takes three days could be cut to a few hours?
- Which data goes into AI, and which data must stay inside the company?
- When to use off-the-shelf tools, when to adapt them to your own processes, when to build your own capabilities?
- Should AI results be measured in productivity, cost, revenue or accumulated assets?
- As AI agents take on more work, how do the roles of employees, managers and the CEO change?
Four parts, twelve chapters
| Part | Content |
|---|---|
| I. From market pressure to strategic choice | The game has changed; the bolt-on trap and the three levels Adopt – Adapt – Advance; four AI-Native business models |
| II. Building the foundation for value creation | Two-tier ROI; data security in the AI-First enterprise; AI governance; AI agents as a new operating unit |
| III. Rebuilding the organization and work | From Boss to Conductor; transformation maps by department; designing the AI-First workforce |
| IV. Measuring, experimenting and scaling | From experimentation space to learning system; the EAR Index™ and the 90-day roadmap |
Appendices: the full EAR Index™ scoring sheet, a template internal AI use policy, a workforce capability assessment, a glossary, and an AI agent profile toolkit.
Key concepts
| Concept | Definition |
|---|---|
| Adopt – Adapt – Advance | Three levels of approaching AI according to actual capability: adopt off-the-shelf tools, adapt to your own context, master when there is a real advantage |
| The 3C filter | Three conditions that decide whether AI creates value: technological capabilities (Capabilities), fit with the context (Context), complementary capabilities (Complements) |
| The bolt-on trap | Attaching AI tools to old ways of working without goals, an accountable owner or measurement |
| Four AI-Native models | Productivity Platform, AI Agent Marketplace, Data Intelligence, AI-Augmented Manufacturing |
| Two-tier ROI | Measure both direct benefits (tier 1) and accumulated complementary assets (tier 2) |
| EAR Index™ | The enterprise AI readiness index, 8 pillars, a 1–5 scale converted to 100 |
Who the book is for
- CEOs and owners of small, medium and mid-sized businesses.
- COOs, CFOs and digital transformation directors who need a common framework to convince the leadership team.
- Middle managers, the people who decide whether AI is actually used or merely purchased.
After chapter 12, you will have a plan for the next 90 days.
Chapter 12 contains the full EAR Index™ scoring sheet. Take the online version now, bring the results to your next leadership meeting, and assign the two priority pillars to two accountable owners.
Publication details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | AI First Business: Rebuilding the enterprise in the AI era |
| Author | Trần Tấn Sỹ |
| Publisher | Ho Chi Minh City Economic Publishing House |
| ISBN | 978-604-346-626-3 |
| Publication registration number | 3831-2026/CXBIPH/01-46/KTTPHCM |
| Pages | 236 |
| Format | 16 × 24 cm |
FAQ
Who is AI First Business for?
For business leaders without a deep technical background who want to make AI investment decisions on a sound basis and with measurement.
Does the book give instructions for specific AI tools?
No. Tools change every quarter. The book focuses on strategy, organization, governance and measurement, the things that decide whether tools make money.
What is the EAR Index™?
A self-assessment tool for enterprise AI readiness across 8 pillars, developed by the author in Chapter 12. See the EAR Index™.
Do I need to read AI Economy first?
Not required. AI Economy gives the national picture; AI First Business is for action inside the company.
Can businesses order in bulk?
Yes. Send your request to info@iepvn.com or call / Zalo +84 833 28 68 13.