Getting Started at BuildIt.ai

This case follows Juliana Chen, a recent MBA graduate (whose name and employer have been disguised) who joins BuildIt.ai, a rapidly growing artificial intelligence software company, as Head of Start-ups. Charged with expanding a newly launched program designed to attract start-ups to the company’s platform, Chen enters the organization with strong support from the CEO but little established credibility, a loosely defined role, limited resources, and no predetermined performance metrics. As BuildIt shifts its focus toward enterprise customers, Chen must demonstrate the value of the Start-up Program while navigating competing organizational priorities and cultivating support from Sales, Engineering, Marketing, and other internal stakeholders. The case examines the choices she makes to build alliances, gain visibility, establish metrics, secure credit for her accomplishments, and develop relationships both inside and outside the company. It raises broader questions about how newcomers build influence and credibility, leverage senior sponsorship without becoming dependent on it, navigate organizational politics, and demonstrate their value when both their role and the criteria for success remain uncertain.