{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"CommerceAI","title":"\"Worry, but not fear\": in conversation with David Rose, Papa Johns","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2325,"description":"For commercial and technology leaders trying to move fast with AI without breaking things that cannot be broken, this episode offers a tested playbook rather than aspirations. David Rose arrived at Papa Johns from a marketing career spanning Virgin Atlantic, Starbucks and the NHS, retrained himself on AI through deliberate study, and now leads both international technology and the company's group-wide AI programme across 6,000 stores in 50 markets. The conversation covers governance design, building internal AI capability from existing talent, and why AI literacy is not just an HR box but a social obligation -- all grounded in what actually happened over two years of experimentation, failure and recovery.\nKey themesThe challenger brand advantage. Papa Johns is large enough to have genuine enterprise constraints but not so large that it cannot move. David argues challenger brands earn a little more licence from customers and boards to take risks and iterate, which creates a structural opening for AI adoption that market leaders often lack.Poacher turned gamekeeper. David's first two years at Papa Johns involved launching pilots without adequate governance, creating problems his CTO then asked him to fix. The resulting four stage-gate process -- intake, pilot approval, pilot evaluation, production sign-off -- sits upstream of standard processes and was deliberately built fast and light so it enables rather than obstructs innovation.Three pillars, in order. David's framework for AI transformation in any enterprise: governance first, then a structured innovation programme aligned to actual strategy (not just interesting pilots), then AI literacy for the whole organisation. He is candid that early pilots pulled the best talent off-strategy and frustrated executives.AI literacy as a social imperative. Beyond internal training, David frames AI literacy as a genuine social responsibility for businesses. He distinguishes worry from fear: worry prompts planning, fear...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/6XUPDihUkuCPm3PnIb8K-PUA2E498QQeSfVpKPViPOk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82MmRl/ODliZTRlNjQ0OTVm/MGNkNmNjYjQ1YmM3/ZDE3YS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}