What is Vane Loop?
A systematic approach to continuously align value and feasibility so Data & AI initiatives stay on course.
Overview
AI moves faster than most organizations can steer, so Data and AI initiatives drift into pilots, cost, and noise. Vane Loop gives a practical way to keep them on course by continuously aligning value with feasibility as reality changes. If the goal is outcomes that scale and not one-off wins, this methodology is the missing steering loop.
Vane Loop is a steering methodology for Data & AI initiatives that runs in short, repeatable cycles by constantly correcting the course based on learnings and ever-changing environments. It starts by making value explicit (what outcome, for whom, and how it pays off), then tests feasibility early (whether the organization can realistically build, operate, and adopt it). Based on that fit, the initiative is shaped into an executable plan, tracked with a small set of steering metrics, and regularly re-evaluated as conditions change, so the work stays aligned, scalable, and outcome-driven instead of drifting into endless pilots.
Core Principles
The foundational elements that make Vane Loop effective.
Value + Feasibility
Every initiative is judged on two questions at the same time: does it create measurable value, and can it realistically be delivered under current constraints. Only strong “yes” on both deserves serious investment.
Feasibility Is Broad
Feasibility is not just “can we build it technically.” It also includes processes, adoption readiness and culture; otherwise the portfolio is scored on a misleading dimension.
True-Up Discipline
Business cases and feasibility are re-validated on a recurring cadence, so assumptions don’t age unnoticed and initiatives don’t continue “because they were started.” The loop exists to keep direction aligned with what is still true.
Outpace the Drift
The loop must be intentional: structured signals, clear orientation, explicit decision points, and disciplined action instead of reactive chaos. The goal is to complete the cycle faster than reality drifts.
How It Works
The Vane Loop cycle in action.
Value
Value builds the financial language for Data & AI investments: the Napkin Test and unit economics, honest TCO, options thinking beyond NPV, and risk frameworks that fit probabilistic systems. It also makes hidden costs visible, like dual-run “tax” and AI debt, so CFOs can govern these assets with familiar decision logic.
Adoption
Adoption focuses on feasibility and maturity: closing the gap between what organizations want to build and what they can actually execute and sustain. Without adoption, value stays theoretical: great on slides, invisible in reality.
Navigation
Navigation is the orientation layer: how to stay pointed in the right direction as conditions change, shorten the time between observing reality and acting on it, and replace annual planning drift with continuous course correction.
Execution
Execution is the architectural and technical foundation that makes everything else possible. It covers platform choices and build vs. buy vs. compose decisions. The technology you pick becomes the constraint (or the accelerator) for what you can realistically deliver.
Benefits
What you can achieve with Vane Loop.
Accelerated Growth
Learn and course-correct faster than conditions shift. That tempo compounds into better decisions, earlier pivots, and less waste.
Clarity & Focus
Cut through pilot noise by making value and feasibility explicit. It becomes obvious what to pursue and what to drop.
Team Alignment
Create a shared frame across business, tech, and finance. Everyone pulls in the same direction because they’re solving the same problem.
Sustainable Results
Turn one-off wins into capabilities that endure. Build for adoption and operation, not just delivery.
Ready to Learn More?
Dive deeper into the Vane Loop methodology with our comprehensive book or start applying it today with our product.