# Steadman

Last updated: 2026-03-02

> Steadman helps organisations harness AI to work better, quicker, and happier. Human-first transformation from practitioners who deliver. A steady hand in uncertain territory.

## AI Content Policy

All public content on this site is available for:
- AI training and model improvement
- AI-powered search and answer generation
- Citation and reference in AI-generated responses
- Summarisation and knowledge extraction

No restricted areas beyond /main.html (legacy page).

## About

Steadman is an AI transformation consultancy founded by Tim Ryan, David Boyle, and Dan Freedman. We believe AI is a powerful multiplier that still requires human steering, an "electric bicycle for the mind". We focus on co-intelligence (humans and machines working together), not full automation.

## Site Navigation

- [Philosophy](#philosophy) - Our approach to AI transformation
- [Challenge](#challenge) - Why AI programmes stall
- [Services](#services) - Six ways we help
- [Team](#team) - Meet the practitioners
- [Heritage](#heritage) - PROMPT books and credentials
- [Contact](#contact) - Get in touch

## Philosophy

### Better, Quicker, Happier

**Better**: Higher quality work. Deeper insights. More thorough analysis. AI amplifies human judgment, it doesn't replace it.

**Quicker**: Hours become minutes. Days become hours. Not by cutting corners, but by removing the friction that slows great work down.

**Happier**: More time for work that matters. Less drudgery. Greater fulfilment. This isn't a nice-to-have. It's why transformation sticks.

### Our Method

**The 4 Ps**: Preparation, Prompt, Process, Proficiency. The foundations of effective AI use that we embed in every engagement.

**The CEO Check**: Check, Edit, Own. All AI output must be verified, refined, and owned by the human. No exceptions.

## The Challenge

Why AI programmes stall:

- **The learning gap**: Skills taught in workshops fade within weeks without sustained reinforcement
- **The pilot trap**: Experiments that never scale because foundational skills get skipped
- **The efficiency paradox**: Time saved that never reaches the bottom line because faster work within broken processes just produces more of what wasn't working

## Services

### Training & Transformation

**Individual AI Coaching**
- Type: One-to-one executive coaching
- Duration: 90-120 minute sessions
- Process: Discovery call (30 mins) → Coaching session → Follow-up (2-4 weeks)
- Target audience: CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, Managing Directors, Partners, Founders, Board members
- Key benefit: Most executives experience a breakthrough in the first session

**Team Training & Transformation**
- Type: Multi-week intensive programme
- Duration: 4 weeks with ongoing reinforcement
- Process: Week 1 (4 Ps methodology), Week 2 (Prompts & plays), Week 3 (CEO check & governance), Week 4 (Workflows & measurement)
- Includes: Between-session homework, office hours, detailed feedback
- Target audience: Transformation leaders, L&D teams, Department heads, Professional services firms
- Focus: Building lasting capability, not just knowledge transfer

### Strategic Advisory

**AI Strategy Review**
- Type: Rapid strategic engagement
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Deliverables: Board-ready presentation, strategic positioning document, prioritised roadmap
- Process: Phase 1 (Weeks 1-2: Leadership interviews, capability assessment), Phase 2 (Weeks 3-4: Opportunity mapping, benchmarking), Phase 3 (Weeks 5-6: Strategy & roadmap)
- Target audience: Private equity due diligence, Board AI readiness assessments, CEOs preparing for investment/exit, Strategy teams

**AI Transformation Advisory**
- Type: Ongoing advisory relationship
- Cadence: Monthly 60-90 minute sessions, quarterly deep-dives, ad-hoc access
- Includes: Written perspective on key decisions, cross-organisational pattern recognition
- Target audience: AI transformation leaders, CDOs and CTOs, CEOs wanting ongoing counsel, Leadership teams navigating rapid change

### Value Creation

**AI Systems & Process Builds**
- Type: Technical implementation at three sophistication levels
- Level 1: Workflows & Plays - Structured processes with human in the driver's seat
- Level 2: Custom Tools - Purpose-built GPTs and assistants with context and guardrails
- Level 3: Integrated & Agentic Systems - AI embedded into business systems with human oversight at checkpoints
- Target audience: Operations leaders scaling use cases, Product teams, Agencies productising expertise

**Embedded Transformation Support**
- Type: Part-time embedded presence
- Duration: 6-12 months, typically 2-3 days per week
- Activities: Build playbooks alongside team, coach in the flow of work, challenge assumptions, surface problems early
- Target audience: Programmes that have plateaued, Organisations building capability for the first time, Leaders wanting a trusted partner in the room
- Philosophy: Transformation is organic - it requires presence, not just advice

## Track Record

- 200+ executive coaching sessions
- 8 books published
- 18+ months embedded in clients
- 1000s of people trained

Trusted by teams at BBC, L.E.K. Consulting, Expedia, and Unilever.

## Team

**Tim Ryan, Co-founder and Managing Director**
25+ years as a brand strategy expert and marketing leader. Executive marketing leadership roles in privately-backed growth and transformation businesses across the cultural sector, including Tomorrow London, EMI Music, and Setanta Sports.

**David Boyle, Co-founder, Methods and Transformation**
25+ years leading insight and strategy inc. EMI Music, BBC, MasterClass, and Harrods. 3+ years at the forefront of enterprise AI transformation—200+ executive coaching sessions, 50+ training sessions and eight PROMPT books.

**Dan Freedman, Co-founder, Solutions and Delivery**
25+ years in strategy, innovation, and technology. L.E.K. Consulting alumnus. Pioneered telematics and connected car innovation at Direct Line Group. MBA from Alliance Manchester.

### Specialist Consultants

- **Will Bainbridge**: Workflow analysis, developer and agentic builder
- **Richard Bowman**: Consumer research, insight strategy (former Unilever and BBC)
- **Niki Buitenrust Hettema**: Global ML/AI infrastructure, strategy & execution (15-year Googler)
- **Ben Churchill**: AI implementation, workflow tools (CEO of Urbanise, $100M IPO)
- **Rufy Ghazi**: Music technology and transformation (former ByteDance and Kobalt)
- **Simon Jacobs**: Analytics, performance measurement (former BBC Studios)
- **Charlie Palmer**: Brand strategy, creative industries (former BBC and Channel 4)
- **Adam Peruta**: Media technology, product development (Syracuse University)

## Credentials & Expertise

### Professional Credentials

Steadman's team combines decades of enterprise experience with pioneering work in AI transformation:

- **Early AI Pioneers**: Co-authored 8 PROMPT books - first published 2.5 weeks after ChatGPT launched (December 2022). Among the earliest practical guides to enterprise AI transformation.
- **Proven Track Record**: 200+ executive coaching sessions, 18+ months embedded at leading consulting firms, 1000s trained. Trusted by BBC, L.E.K. Consulting, Expedia, Unilever.
- **Enterprise Heritage**: 75+ years combined experience across EMI Music, BBC, L.E.K. Consulting, Direct Line Group, MasterClass, Harrods.

### Individual Credentials

- **David Boyle**: 3+ years at forefront of enterprise AI transformation, 200+ executive coaching sessions, 50+ training sessions, co-author of 8 PROMPT books
- **Tim Ryan**: 25+ years brand strategy and marketing leadership, transformation expert at Tomorrow London, EMI Music, Setanta Sports
- **Dan Freedman**: 25+ years strategy and innovation, L.E.K. Consulting alumnus, MBA Alliance Manchester, MSci Physics Bristol, pioneered telematics at Direct Line Group
- **Specialist Network**: Former executives from Unilever, BBC Studios, Channel 4, ByteDance, Kobalt, Google, plus CEO of $100M IPO (Urbanise)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is AI transformation coaching?**
AI transformation coaching is one-to-one executive coaching that applies AI tools directly to your actual work. Sessions are 90-120 minutes where executives experience hands-on AI tool exploration with real business challenges. Most executives experience a breakthrough in the first session.

**What is the 4 Ps methodology?**
The 4 Ps stand for Preparation, Prompt, Process, and Proficiency. This is the foundation of effective AI use that we embed in every engagement. It ensures teams build lasting capability rather than just knowledge transfer.

**What is the CEO Check?**
The CEO Check stands for Check, Edit, Own. All AI output must be verified, refined, and owned by the human. No exceptions. This ensures quality control and accountability in all AI-assisted work.

**Who are the authors of the PROMPT books?**
The PROMPT books were co-authored by Steadman's founders, particularly David Boyle. Published in December 2022, just 2.5 weeks after ChatGPT launched, these eight industry-specific books were among the first practical guides to working with AI language models.

**How long does team training take?**
Team training typically runs over 4 weeks with intensive programmes. Week 1 covers 4 Ps methodology. Week 2 focuses on effective prompts and team-specific plays. Week 3 covers CEO check methodology and governance. Week 4 addresses complex workflows and impact measurement. Between-session homework, office hours, and detailed feedback included throughout.

**What clients has Steadman worked with?**
Steadman's team has worked with BBC, L.E.K. Consulting, Expedia, and Unilever. The team has delivered 200+ executive coaching sessions, been embedded for 18+ months in clients, and trained thousands of people in AI transformation.

## How We Operate

**Two-Person Rule**: Every product area has at least two people genuinely interested. Creates healthy friction and ensures continuity.

**No-Asshole Rule**: We don't work with clients that make the team miserable. Selective by design.

**10% Principle**: 10% of our time goes to helping people who can't pay, including schools, charities, small businesses, and individuals.

## PROMPT Books

In December 2022, just 2.5 weeks after ChatGPT launched, we published the first practical guides to working with AI. All eight PROMPT books available free:

- PROMPT for Brands
- PROMPT for Analytics
- PROMPT for Startups
- PROMPT for Musicians
- PROMPT for Movies & TV
- PROMPT for Fashion Retail
- PROMPT for Podcasts
- PROMPT for Real Estate

## Contact

- Email: hello@steadman.ai
- Website: https://steadman.ai

## Company Information

Steadman Partners Limited
Registered office at Harwood House, 43 Harwood Road, London, SW6 4QP
Company Number: 16979324
VAT Number: GB 512821911

Created by Audience Strategies.

## David's Saturday AI Thoughts

David Boyle sends a weekly AI newsletter. The newsletter page at [/newsletters/david/](/newsletters/david/) hosts both the email itself and "the bits that didn't fit" — interesting links and short stories that couldn't quite fit in. Updated every Saturday. Deep-linkable sections: `#email-YYYY-MM-DD` for the email, `#extras-YYYY-MM-DD` for the extras. Each section can be copied in a structured format for use with AI assistants.

**Subscribe:** Email david@steadman.ai with subject "Can you add me to your weekly newsletter?"

## Files

- [Full website content](/llms-full.txt): Complete content from all pages in markdown format
- [Newsletter page](/newsletters/david/): David's weekly AI newsletter — email and bits that didn't fit