Stratagems #2: Derek Shaw Walked Into Another AI Promise. The Pipeline Had a Better Plan.

When the enemy is too strong to attack directly, attack what they hold dear. They will come to you to defend it, and the siege is lifted.

— The 36 Stratagems, "Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao"

Derek Shaw knew 95% was a number he shouldn't have promised. He said it anyway.

97.2% Coverage, 4-Day Delivery — A Fake Quote, and a Parking Lot Lesson

Back at QualiGuard, Derek Shaw walked into Finova's $1.8M contract bid with an AI platform that claimed 97.2% test coverage. Four-day delivery, fully automated, beautiful numbers. But his boss Sarah had cut his GPU budget behind his back and forced him to slash the quote from $1.8M to $1.5M.