In the first episode of a new LinkedIn Fireside Chat series, Brett Johnson, General Manager at VOSS Solutions for ANZ, interviews CTO Dan Payne regarding AI readiness. The discussion emphasizes that true readiness depends on operational foundations rather than specific AI tools. Key pillars for success include understanding business processes, implementing modern tooling with API and MCP support, ensuring structured and accurate data, and defining measurable outcomes. The conversation also addresses challenges faced by lean IT teams, such as fragmented hybrid environments and inconsistent data, and suggests that organizations should focus on auditing workflows and data quality to build an effective orchestration layer.