Media & Press
Everything you need to cover Start at Zero. Cover images, author biography, book facts, and press release.
Book Details
Author Biography
Short Bio (75 words)
Abhijit Verekar is the founder and CEO of Avèro Advisors, the only consulting firm exclusively focused on independent, vendor-neutral government ERP advisory. His firm has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list five times. Over two decades, he has guided cities, counties, and states through the most complex technology transformations in the public sector — always on the government's side of the table, never the vendor's.
Extended Bio (150 words)
Abhijit Verekar has spent twenty years helping government organizations navigate high-stakes technology modernization. As founder and CEO of Avèro Advisors, he built the only consulting firm exclusively focused on independent, vendor-neutral government ERP advisory — earning recognition on the Inc. 5000 list five times.
His team works exclusively with cities, counties, and states, providing the unbiased oversight that prevents the structural failures plaguing public sector technology projects. From Phase Zero strategic planning through post-go-live value realization, Avèro has guided over 30 government ERP engagements with a singular focus: ensuring the government's interests come first.
Start at Zero distills two decades of frontline experience into the definitive playbook for government leaders facing modernization decisions in the age of AI.
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Press Release
Press Release
For Release: Spring 2026
Knoxville, TN — Abhijit Verekar, five-time Inc. 5000 CEO and founder of Avèro Advisors, announces the publication of Start at Zero: Leading High-Stakes Modernization in the Age of AI, the first book to address the structural causes behind billion-dollar government technology failures.
Government ERP projects fail at rates that would be scandalous in any other sector. Over 70% of large government IT projects fail to deliver intended benefits, with notable disasters like Birmingham City Council's $216 million overrun on a $19 million budget. Verekar's book reveals that these failures aren't caused by bad technology — they're caused by conflicted advisory structures, absent governance, and skipped preparation.
"Every government leader facing a modernization decision right now is walking into a market that's more dangerous and more confusing than any time in the last twenty years," says Verekar. "The convergence of SAP end-of-support deadlines, Oracle cloud mandates, and AI hype has created conditions where billions of public dollars are at risk."
Start at Zero introduces the Phase Zero framework — a structured 100-day preparation methodology that creates clarity before vendors enter the conversation. The book includes 16 ready-to-use templates covering everything from governance charters to vendor evaluation scorecards to AI readiness assessments.
Drawing from over 30 government ERP engagements and two decades of working exclusively on the government's side of the table, the book provides the first comprehensive playbook for independent modernization oversight.
Media Contact:
Avèro Advisors
[email protected]
averoadvisors.com