A CognivaLab Research study · Summer 2026
The State of AI Implementation in the Mid-Market
What's working, what's stalled, and what it's really costing — a limited cohort of CEOs and senior leaders of 500–2,500-person companies. Not the LinkedIn version. The real state of play.
Research, not a sales conversation. Everything reports in aggregate.
What this study is and who qualifies
Every leader I talk to is asking the same quiet question: “Is this normal? What's it like at other companies?” Boards are asking for AI. Budgets have doubled. And yet 42% of companies abandoned most of their AI initiatives last year — up from 17% the year before (S&P Global, 2025). Nobody has published what that actually looks like inside mid-market companies. That's the gap this study closes.
I'm conducting a limited series of structured conversations — up to about 30 — with CEOs and senior leaders of companies with 500–2,500 employees in SaaS and software, professional services, technology, and health sciences across the US and Canada. Twenty-five minutes, on camera or audio only. No prep, no deck, no pitch — your read on what AI is actually doing inside your organization. We close intake once the responses converge on a clear signal.
A note for the geographically precise: North America includes Mexico, of course. We're studying the English-speaking mid-market — the US and Canada — first. That “first” is deliberate.
What participants receive
The findings, first.
The full report — The State of AI Implementation in the North American Mid-Market (working title) — goes to participants before it publishes anywhere.
A personalized readback.
A one-page readback on where your organization sits against the wider signal — yours alone, no charge, no pitch attached.
Your story, protected.
Findings report in aggregate. Nothing is attributed to you or your company without your written approval.
Add your perspective
25 minutes, on camera or audio only. Pick any time that works.
Book your conversation ↗Opens Calendly in a new window — or keep reading and book below.
Who's behind the research
I'm Paola Sanmiguel, founder of CognivaLab. Before CognivaLab, I originated the L&D function at a pre-IPO Google Sales & Operations organization, then built teams, products, and ventures at Intel, Verizon, and Salesforce — plus my own startups since 2003. I write The Strategic AI Radar, a weekly decision-grade read on the AI signals leaders actually need to act on, and I teach design research at California College of the Arts.
The Strategic AI Radar The Judgement Premium LinkedIn Profile
The confidentiality promise
How your conversation is handled: findings are reported in aggregate across the cohort. The only facts retained about your organization are company size band and general vertical — never names. Nothing you say is attributed to you or your company without your written approval. A two-line confidentiality note confirming all of this is sent before every conversation, in writing.
Add your perspective
25 minutes, on camera or audio only. Pick any time that works.
Calendly embeds here
Waiting for the live scheduling link — same widget as above.
01What is this study?
CognivaLab is researching why AI initiatives stall in mid-market companies (500–2,500 employees) — and what the companies that got unstuck did differently. We're interviewing a limited cohort of operations, technology, and people leaders across the US and Canada, plus founders at AI-native companies. Findings publish as The State of AI Implementation in the North American Mid-Market (working title).
02Is this a sales call?
No — and I'll put that in writing. It's a research conversation; you'll get the findings, not a follow-up pitch. Research and selling are completely separate at CognivaLab. If you ever want to talk business, that's a different door: Contact Us.
03Who are you looking to talk to?
CEOs and senior leaders — operations, technology, and people — at 500–2,500-person companies in SaaS/software, professional services, technology, and health sciences, across the US and Canada. Plus founders at AI-native companies. If that's you, your perspective is exactly what the study needs.
04What's the time commitment?
One 25-minute conversation. That's the whole ask. (We hold a slightly longer window in case it runs — never an obligation.)
05Do I need to prepare anything?
Nothing. If you know what your company spent on AI and what came back, we'll have plenty to talk about. If you don't — that's a finding too.
06What do I get for participating?
The full report the day it ships and a personalized snapshot showing how your organization compares to the rest of the cohort. Participants pay nothing.
07How is my data used — and who sees my answers?
Me, and only me, during the study. Findings are anonymized and aggregated; your name and company never appear in the report without your written approval. Interview notes are never shared.
08How many leaders are you interviewing — and how long is this open?
A limited cohort — up to about 30. Because this is structured research, we close intake as soon as the responses converge on a clear signal, which can come sooner. Slots are first-come.
09Who's behind it?
Paola Sanmiguel, founder of CognivaLab. Follow the work: The Strategic AI Radar · The Judgement Premium · LinkedIn Profile.
10I just want the report.
Easy — join the waitlist below and you'll get the report the day it ships.
Just want the findings?
Join the research waitlist and you'll get The State of AI Implementation in the North American Mid-Market (working title) the day it ships.
By joining, you consent to receive the report and related CognivaLab emails. One click, unsubscribe anytime. We keep a timestamped record of your signup. Intended for participants in the US and Canada. See our privacy note.
This research informs the CognivaLab AI Audit — an independent, current-state read of where a company's AI investment is working, where it's stalled, and what to do next, delivered with Human Dividend, my leadership practice for the human side of AI transformation. If that's a conversation you want separately: Contact Us.
Privacy & data
What we collect, and how it's handled
This page collects one thing: the email you enter to join the research waitlist. If you take part in a conversation, I also keep private notes of what we discuss.
I use your email only to send you the report and occasional CognivaLab research updates — never sold, never shared. Findings are anonymized and aggregated; nothing is attributed to you or your company without your written approval.
I keep a timestamped record of your signup as proof of consent. You can unsubscribe from any email in one click, and you can ask me to show or delete your data at any time — just contact us. This research is intended for participants in the US and Canada.