THE FIRST VIEW SERIES:

Mindset First:
First Derivative at EPAM’s Applied AI Conference 2026

Addressing the Confidence Gap

Earlier this year, the EPAM Global BA Community was actively developing an AI skills matrix tailored for Business Analysts and Product Managers. However, leadership recognized that a technical skills framework alone could not resolve the deeper underlying challenge: internal surveys revealed that only around half of the community felt confident in their future professional value within an AI-enabled landscape.

Yjinia Aucharenka, leader of the EPAM Global BA Community, identified this mindset shift as the critical missing piece. Building upon earlier collaborative groundwork—specifically Project RAPTOR, a thirteen-part thought-leadership series I had published through the community centered on the concept of the “Augmented Solutions Architect” (treating AI as a force multiplier rather than a threat)—community leadership saw an opportunity to bridge this gap.

Daryna Kapustian issued a precise and strategic conference brief for the EPAM Applied AI: Product Conference 2026: “Applied AI — Mindset Shift.” I was invited to open the conference as its first keynote speaker, tasked with delivering a non-technical, motivational session designed to address this confidence and perspective gap for a global virtual audience of BAs, Product Managers, and Solutions Architects.

The Strategic Vision and the Analogy

Recognising that subsequent conference sessions would thoroughly explore technical implementations and business wins, our First Derivative team set out to provide a distinct narrative foundation.

To effectively communicate how technological transitions unfold across history, we utilized historical industrial milestones at the Ulster Transport Museum—from steam engines and electric trams to agricultural tractors—as a conceptual lens. Every one of those machines was once viewed as disruptive and threatening to the workforce of its era. Yet, history demonstrates that none of those innovations eliminated work; instead, they fundamentally transformed it, automating routine burdens and freeing people to focus on human judgment, empathy, and creativity.

Collaboration and Execution

To bring this vision to life, a small, cross-functional First Derivative team came together:

The Core Message: #SIMPLIFY and Daily Habit

Ultimately, the museum narrative was designed to do more than draw historical parallels; it was crafted to shift daily working mindsets. The aim was not to turn business analysts into technologists, but to leave attendees with a practical, high-impact question for every working week:

“Whose job is this task?”

When evaluating day-to-day responsibilities, tasks that genuinely require human oversight look very different from those that can be safely automated. If a task belongs to the machine, the goal is to give it back. In this sense, #SIMPLIFY is not presented as a platform or product, but as a disciplined daily habit—a framework to reclaim time and focus on what only humans can do.

Conclusion

Reflecting on the experience, this initiative was never about a simple day out; it was a deliberate, strategic effort to confront industry-wide uncertainty with historical perspective and purpose. Stepping far outside our comfort zones, our team demonstrated what First Derivative professionals can achieve when united by a clear mission: to guide our community with confidence into the future of intelligent automation.

Thanks Chris