Dan Warrener
I build production AI systems, write about what actually works, and help leaders cut through the noise. Ex-Microsoft Global Data & AI Lead. 25 years in the trenches.
A TRACK RECORD OF REAL RESULTS
Global Data & AI Lead at Microsoft. Awards for leadership and delivery at Avanade. 1,600+ subscribers to The Strategic Edge newsletter. Currently building production AI systems at PowerUp Global and Renew Capital.
THE AI REALIST
95% of AI projects fail. MIT confirmed it. I've seen the wreckage firsthand — companies haemorrhaging six figures on pilots that go nowhere, tools nobody asked for, and 'AI strategies' that are really just vendor shopping lists.The problem isn't AI. It's that most organisations are chasing every shiny demo instead of asking the only question that matters: where does AI actually create value for THIS business?I've spent 25 years watching the same cycle. Dot-com boom. Cloud wars. Now AI hype. The pattern is always the same: hype builds, money flows to the loudest voices, reality hits, and serious people clean up the mess.Your brain is still the most powerful system you'll ever use. AI should make it sharper — not replace it.
WHAT I DO
I take on a limited number of engagements. I work with funded startups, scaling SMBs, and established enterprises. The common thread: serious people building real things.AI Reality Check — £3,000
3-day intensive. I review your AI plans, data readiness, and team capability — then tell you honestly what's worth building and what's waste. Written report and leadership debrief included.Strategy Sprint — £5,000
One focused week. Stakeholder interviews, technology review, and a prioritised roadmap your board can act on.AI & Data Strategy — From £1,500/day
Intensive engagements from 2 weeks to 3 months. Portfolio audit, architecture review, governance, roadmap. This is where the £1.2M waste discovery happened.AI Agent, Web App & SaaS Development — Projects from £15,000
End-to-end build of production AI systems. Multi-agent architectures, Microsoft Fabric data platforms, React/Next.js applications, Azure deployment. I build the thing.Data Platform Architecture — Projects from £12,000
Microsoft Fabric medallion architectures, Azure data estates, data governance frameworks. Built at Microsoft scale and for startups.Fractional CTO — From £2,000/day
I embed with your team. Architecture, team building, vendor management, board reporting. I write code, review PRs, and sit in the difficult meetings. Minimum 3 months.Board Advisory & NED — From £30,000/year
For companies where AI and data are board-level concerns.Speaking & Workshops — From £2,500 (half-day)
Real talk about what AI means for your business. No motivational fluff.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
'Dan's insight shifted how we approach AI adoption — clear, strategic, and grounded in human behaviour. His understanding of how dopamine-driven hype distorts decision-making gave our leadership team a framework for cutting through vendor noise and focusing on what actually delivers value.' — Tancredi De Pretto, AI Adoption Lead'He combines technical brilliance with a commercial mindset.' — Toby Goldblatt, AI Executive
ABOUT
25 years building, breaking, and fixing data and AI systems across enterprises.At Microsoft, I led global Data & AI transformation — not the PowerPoint version, the version where you sit with engineering teams at midnight debugging data pipelines. Over £350 million in transformation value delivered. Awards for leadership and delivery at Avanade.Now I'm building production AI systems at PowerUp Global on Microsoft Fabric, designing multi-agent architectures at Renew Capital, and writing The Strategic Edge for 1,600+ leaders who are tired of AI theatre.The breadth of what I cover: cloud architecture, data platforms, AI agent design, web application development, SaaS product engineering, data governance, and the human side of technology adoption — cognitive fitness, critical thinking, and why your brain is still your best tool.Based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Father. Perpetually caffeinated. Allergic to corporate fluff.
LET'S TALK
Whether you're questioning your current AI investments, building something new, or looking for a senior technology leader who actually builds — the first step is a conversation.