Industries
Industry and company-size overlays on the same six-phase pilot spine: who signs, what counts as proof, and how deals stall.
Same spine, different friction
Don't write a new playbook per vertical. Keep the six phases and swap the failure modes. Fintech adds vendor and model risk. Healthtech puts HIPAA and the BAA on the clock from day one. In HR tech the CHRO champions, but finance signs.
New to pilots? Start with the phase hubs. Use an industry guide once you know the spine and need the vertical overlay.
Industry guides
- Climate pilotsCFO or project finance signs; the sustainability lead doesn't. Proof is tCO2e with a stated method and $/tCO2e on one named asset.
- Cybersecurity pilotsCIO or CFO signs; the CISO influences. Proof is MTTD/MTTR, false-positive rate, and coverage on one named control.
- Fintech / financial-services pilotsFinance and risk sign, with compliance in from day one. Proof is loss, SLA, or recon accuracy they can underwrite.
- Healthtech / digital health pilotsFinance signs; the clinical champion doesn't. Proof is turnaround, documentation time, or denial rate at one site.
- HR tech pilotsCFO or COO signs; the CHRO alone usually can't. Proof is time-to-fill or days-to-productivity on one BU or job family.
- Industrial / AI pilotsThe CAPEX owner signs; the plant champion doesn't. Proof is OEE, scrap, or unplanned downtime on one named line.
- Logistics pilotsCOO or VP Supply Chain signs; the ops champion alone can't. Proof is on-time delivery, dock-to-stock, or cost-per-shipment on one lane or DC.
- Marketplace pilotsVP Marketplace or finance signs. Proof is fill rate, time-to-match, and cohort GMV in one category or geo.
- SaaS / B2B software pilotsThe budget owner signs an annual, not the trial user. Proof is weekly adoption and cycle-time gains finance can read.
- Vertical AI pilotsA practice lead or the COO signs; the AI lab alone can't. Proof is cycle time, rework, or throughput on one named workflow.
By company size
Same spine, different buyer weight: who signs and how much proof it takes as the company gets bigger.
- SME pilotsThe owner, founder, or GM signs; a middle manager alone can't. Proof is cash, ROI, or one named KPI on one team or site.
- Mid-market pilotsBU GM or CFO signs with the VP champion; a director alone can't. Proof is a finance-readable KPI on one BU, plant, or department.
- Enterprise pilotsLOB owner or CFO signs after InfoSec and procurement clear. Proof is an exec-readable KPI on one BU, region, or plant.
Coming next
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Claims and patterns on this page are paraphrased from practitioner session notes and the Startup Bible (Pilots that convert). See Sources.
Continue the journey
- Find the right pilotHow to choose pilot customers, compelling events, and paid pilots that can convert into purchase orders.
- Qualify the closeWork backwards from ACV, map the buying committee, and parallel-path security and procurement before the pilot starts.
- TemplatesWorking templates for buying committee, success criteria, agreement, kickoff, midpoint, stall diagnostic, and ROI.
- BenchmarksAttributed figures from practitioner sessions on pilot duration, criteria, and pricing patterns.