Carmen McKinney: How to Beat AI Slop With Numbers You Can Trust

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Are you making strategic decisions based on data you assume is accurate?

Are you leading growth plans without checking if your assumptions stand up?

Are you unsure whether AI is helping or quietly increasing your risk?

If you rely on information that may no longer be trustworthy, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, John Downes speaks with IBISWorld’s Carmen McKinney about why data quality is declining, how CEOs can strengthen their planning with real benchmarks, and how to cut through AI slop to make better long-term decisions. For leaders of mid-sized organisations, this discussion highlights how evidence-based insight can reshape your strategy and focus your team.

What You’ll Learn:

== Why AI is flooding the internet with unreliable information

== How to validate gut feel with credible benchmarks

== How to identify your winnable market

== Why strategic focus beats busywork

== How to sharpen your planning with trusted research

Highlights

00:00 Introduction to Carmen and IBISWorld

05:20 What industry research really tells leaders

07:17 Strategic planning made clearer with benchmarks

20:24 AI slop and declining data quality

32:13 The future of industry research and AI

39:52 #CriticalFewActions™ for Senior Leaders

The #CriticalFewActions™ You Can Do Today

When I work with successful business leaders, I often see how easy it is to plan from assumptions rather than evidence. Many still rely on instinct, even when the market is shifting faster than they expect.

Here are the three key insights I took from the conversation:

Insight 1: The risk of poor-quality information.

AI slop is making it harder to trust what you read.

So, what can you do?

Use validated, professional sources for major decisions.

Ask your team to show the source and evidence for every assumption.

Insight 2: Balancing gut feel with benchmarks.

Gut feel only draws on what you already know.

So, what can you do?

Benchmark your projections against real industry data.

Check whether your chosen markets are already dominated by large competitors.

Insight 3: Narrow your focus to win.

Most companies try to change too many things at once.

So, what can you do?

Choose one clear competitive position and align your resources.

Stop or pause low-value initiatives to protect execution.

If you found this conversation valuable, please Subscribe / Follow, leave a comment, and share this episode with your peer business leaders. Your support helps us reach more CEOs who want to improve organisation performance and value.

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Final Thought

If your decisions are only as strong as the information behind them, now is the time to check the quality of your inputs. Better data leads to better choices, and better choices shape the business you become.

#CriticalFewActions #CEOMasterclass

#StrategicPlanning #BusinessLeadership #IndustryResearch #DataQuality #Benchmarking #MidSizedBusiness #AIForBusiness #OrganisationalPerformance