The importance of stakes in the ground

On reliable foundations, the joy of Merlin, and why AI is a little like spring grass.

Key points

In times of rapid change, reliable foundations become even more valuable.
AI is creating incredible opportunities, but it can also create overwhelm and distraction.
Sustainable progress usually comes from consistency rather than constant reinvention.
Businesses need a few clear foundations they can return to when everything feels uncertain.
Technology changes. The underlying principles rarely do.

The Joy of Richmond Park

Last weekend I was walking through Richmond Park.

It has been one of my favourite places for as long as I can remember. Certainly since I was eleven years old and was unexpectedly given a Beagle for my birthday. I think my parents actually wanted the dog – so it was an easy present to give to me!!

At the time, I thought I was getting a loving pet. What I actually also got, was a daily commitment.

Anyone who knows anything about Beagles will know they are beautiful and affectionate, and occasionally determined to ignore every instruction you’ve ever given them. They also need walking. Every day of the year. Rain or shine. And good long walks.

Looking back, Richmond Park where I would be dropped off to walk her for a couple of hours, became one of my earliest “stakes in the ground.” A place I could return to regardless of what was happening elsewhere. A reliable source of calm, perspective, and fresh air. A place I now live 5 minutes walk from, and still head out for walks on most days.

One of the unexpected pleasures of recent years has been rediscovering the park through a completely different lens. For decades I wanted to learn bird calls. I would hear birds singing and think, I really should learn what that is one day. Like many people, I never quite got around to it.
Then along came the Merlin Bird ID app. You simply hold your phone up and, almost as if by magic, the names of the birds appear on the screen while they’re singing. Suddenly the anonymous background soundtrack becomes recognisable — a Robin, a Chiffchaff, a Eurasian Wren. What once felt mysterious becomes familiar.

Not replacing something. Not distracting from something. Enhancing it.

It’s one of my favourite examples of technology genuinely enhancing life. AI has done exactly that in many areas — helping me research faster, write more efficiently, organise ideas, and explore topics I might never have had time to investigate before. Used well, it is remarkable.

Too much too quickly

But as we continued our walk, another observation caught my attention. The first signs of ragwort were beginning to appear. Richmond Park volunteers spend a lot of time managing it because it can be harmful to grazing animals. That led to a conversation about horses being released from their winter stables onto fresh spring grass.

At first glance, it sounds idyllic. Months of hay followed by fields full of rich green growth. But horse owners know there is a risk. Too much too quickly can be dangerous — one of the most serious consequences is colic, a condition that can become life-threatening. The very thing that appears beneficial can cause problems if approached without care.

AI feels a little similar right now. Not because it’s dangerous — far from it. But because it’s incredibly easy to overconsume. Every day there is a new tool, a new platform, a new workflow, a new prediction about the future. A new reason to feel either excited or overwhelmed. Sometimes both at the same time.

The foundations that matter

What I’ve noticed over the years is that most businesses don’t struggle because they lack opportunities. They struggle because there are too many opportunities pulling them in different directions. Before long, the foundations that were quietly working get neglected — the website stops being updated, the messaging becomes inconsistent, the content plan disappears. Momentum stalls.

This is why I keep coming back to the idea of stakes in the ground. Not because they stop us moving forward. Quite the opposite. They give us something stable to build from. For businesses, that might look like:

A clear website
Consistent content
Strong customer relationships
A simple process
A clear understanding of who you help and why

The businesses that navigate change best are rarely the ones chasing every new development. They’re the ones with strong foundations who adopt new technology thoughtfully. They experiment. They learn. They adapt. But they don’t throw everything out every time the landscape shifts.

The technology has changed countless times during my career. The principles haven’t.

People still need clarity. They still need trust. They still need consistency. AI is undoubtedly changing the way businesses communicate, market themselves, and get discovered online. Ignoring it would be a mistake. But so would abandoning the things that already work.

The challenge isn’t choosing between old and new. It’s finding the balance between them — building on solid foundations while remaining open to new possibilities. Because sustainable momentum rarely comes from chasing every opportunity. It comes from knowing which opportunities are worth building upon.

Contact me

If you’re trying to work out which parts of your digital presence should evolve, and which foundations should stay firmly in place, I’d be happy to have a conversation. Sometimes a little clarity is more valuable than another new tactic. Why not get in touch