Matthew Kleiman is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Digital Systems as well as the author of the recently released book Work Done Right. In our second conversation with Matthew, we talk about making use of artificial intelligence, and in particular large language models, without falling for the hype surrounding these technologies. We revisit the concept of the "splashy technology syndrome", discuss how to identify those solutions that bring real value, and take a look at some examples of how Cumulus leverages AI. Links & mentions: agiledrop.com/podcast/matthew-kleiman-work-done-right-through-systems-thinking linkedin.com/in/kleimanmatthew matt@cumulusds.com

Anton Skornyakov is a holder of the esteemed certified Scrum Trainer certification, co-founder and managing director of Agile Coach and author of The Art of Slicing Work: How to Navigate Unpredictable Projects. In this episode, Anton breaks down the concept of slicing work and how it can benefit businesses and organizations. He shares numerous tips and insights from his just released book, along with tangible examples of slicing work in action. Links & mentions: slicingwork.com agile.coach

Greg Brooks is the Chief Marketing Officer at the data-driven SEO and link building agency SearchTides. In this episode, we talk about the future of search engine marketing and optimization in a digital landscape driven by artificial intelligence. We take a look at the state of SEO before the public release of ChatGPT in November 2022, what has changed since then, and how marketers can best prepare for the future of SEO. Links & mentions: searchtides.com linkedin.com/company/searchtides youtube.com/@Searchtides

Franz Karlsberger is the CEO of the developer focused open-source application delivery and hosting platform amazee.io. In this episode, we talk about navigating the challenges of building a successful business based on open-source technologies, with Franz sharing his first-hand experiences of leading amazee.io as well as his tips for making sense of the abundant landscape of different open-source software solutions. Links & mentions: amazee.io linkedin.com/in/franzkarlsberger

Nikola Mrkšić is one of the masterminds behind Apple's digital assistant Siri, as well as the CEO and co-founder of PolyAI. In this episode, we speak about winning (back) trust in the age of artificial intelligence. We discuss the importance of trust for effective customer relationships, as well as look at the bigger picture with regards to the overabundance and hyper-refinement of AI-generated content where there are not yet well enough established standards and regulations. Links & mentions: poly.ai nikola@poly.ai

Andrej Safundzic is the CEO and co-founder of Lumos, an advanced SaaS management and identity governance platform. In this episode, we discuss the APPocalypse, that is, the overabundance of digital tools and applications. We start with some history and how we got to this sprawl of apps, before moving on to discussing the impacts it has on both businesses and individuals. We also talk about the important lessons from product management and kaizen, as well as the key role of company culture in navigating the APPocalypse. Links & mentions: linkedin.com/in/andrejsafundzic andrej@lumos.com

Eric Siegel is a former Columbia professor, leading ML consultant and author of The AI Playbook: Mastering the Rare Art of Machine Learning Deployment, which has just recently been released. In this episode, we talk about whether or not we're headed towards an AI winter and what implications this would have for the future of innovation in artificial intelligence and machine learning. We discuss the law of human-like autonomy and why it is important for these kinds of conversations, and conclude with a look into the future of AI innovation & development. Links & mentions: amazon.com/AI-Playbook-Mastering-Deployment-Management bizml.com linkedin.com/in/predictiveanalytics

Cody Schneider is the co-founder of the AI SEO content engine DraftHorse AI, and of an advanced AI writer engine for podcasters, Swell AI. In this episode, we talk about how to navigate career pivots through disruption and volatility, and Cody shares some of his personal experience with needing to make a sudden shift in his career. Links & mentions: twitter.com/codyschneiderxx linkedin.com/in/codyxschneider drafthorseai.com swellai.com

Lisa Carlin is a strategy execution specialist and scale up mentor, as well as co-founder of FutureBuilders Group, a network of Organizational Development specialists. In this episode, we talk about designing successful strategies and building internal communities to drive change with significant benefits and as little upheaval as possible to the people. Lisa also shares a couple of her favorite success stories from her work which showcase her unique approach to strategizing and helping her clients. Links & mentions: futurebuildersgroup.com futurebuildersgroup.com/resources futurebuildersgroup.com/turbocharge linkedin.com/in/lisacarlin linkedin.com/posts/lisacarlin_what-outcomes-do-you-aim-for-on-a-critical-activity michellewhitingsocial.medium.com/meet-the-founder-of-turbocharge-your-transformation-membership-academy

Jack Skeels is an award-winning executive, frequent keynote speaker and published thought leader, the CEO & founder of AgencyAgile, and the author of the recently published book Unmanaged. In this episode, we break down the concept of unmanaging, exploring how it differs from traditional management approaches and in what ways it resembles the agile approach to project management. We talk about the meeting shadow and how it affects productivity, the cost of overmanaging, i.e. manager tax, and explain both what unmanaging is and isn't. Links & mentions: linkedin.com/in/jackaskeels unmanagedbook.agencyagile.com agencyagile.com

Matthew Kleiman is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Digital Systems as well as the author of the recently released book Work Done Right. In this episode, we talk about some of the key lessons and takeaways from Matthew's book, covering topics such as systems thinking and how it differs from systems engineering, the issues with having to do rework when work wasn't done right, and the Splashy Technology Syndrome and its consequences. Links & mentions: matt@cumulusds.com cumulusds.com linkedin.com/in/kleimanmatthew amazon.com/Work-Done-Right

Amir Haramaty is the CEO and co-founder of aiOla, an AI speech technology that helps businesses streamline inspections. In this episode, we discuss how the evolution in AI speech technology is transforming enterprise operations. We talk about the real-life applications of benefits of streamlined speech technology, and Amir shares the story of aiOla as well as some success stories of how it compares to existing off-the-shelf solutions. Links & mentions: amir@aiola.com aiola.com linkedin.com/in/amirharamaty

Eric Holtzclaw is the founding partner and chief strategist of the full-service B2B marketing firm Liger. In this episode, we explore the modern-day marketing maze and how to best navigate it. We focus particularly on content marketing; on the core values, mission and vision of a brand; and on the abundance of MarTech available, as well as the changes in job roles and in the skills required for these new roles. Links & mentions: linkedin.com/in/eholtzclaw ligerpartners.com

Alex Chabot-Leclerc is the Vice President of Digital Transformation Solutions at Enthought, a science-focused digital transformation consultancy. In this episode, we discuss how the field of research and development (R&D) can tap into the power of new AI technologies in order to stay on the cutting edge of innovation. We focus primarily on how R&D jobs will be impacted, and how organizations can support their people to become digitally enabled and future-forward. Links & mentions: linkedin.com/in/alexchabot enthought.com

Oliver Davies is a software developer and consultant with 16 years of professional Drupal development experience, including working on drupal.org for the Drupal Association and being an Acquia Triple Certified Drupal Expert. In this episode, we make the business case for test-driven development (TDD) and automated software testing, exploring why non-developers should care about a proper testing process, how developers can help them do so, as well as what kind of role generative AI tools might play in TDD. Links & mentions: oliverdavies.uk drupal.org/u/opdavies youtu.be/81J0dPvqG-g

Emily Yorgey is a UX/UI designer at Modulous, a modern technology platform which aids in streamlining construction projects. In this episode, we dive into the importance of intentional UX design in the current digital age which is dominated by persuasive and manipulative tech, drawing key insights from Emily's great article "How to build intentional UX in an era of persuasive technology" which has been published both by UX Collective as well as by Fast Company. Links & mentions: medium.com/user-experience-design-1/how-to-build-intentional-ux-in-an-era-of-persuasive-technology fastcompany.com/how-ux-designers-can-use-brain-science-to-influence-user-experience amazon.com/Dont-Make-Think-Revisited-Usability linkedin.com/in/emily-yorgey

Greg Kihlstrom is a customer experience and marketing technology transformation consultant, author, and keynote speaker, as well as the host of The Agile Brand podcast. In this episode, we talk about continuous improvement of AI and customer experience. We break down the concept of AI maturity and discuss how agility goes hand in hand with continuous improvement. We also speak about the need for responsible AI adoption, which Greg wrote about in a recent CMSWire article. Links & mentions: cmswire.com/digital-experience/ai-in-business-friend-or-foe-choose-wisely linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom gregkihlstrom.com

Jan Pilhar is the Executive Director at IBM iX DACH and Co-Leader of their Digital Advisory Practice DACH. In this episode, we talk about unlocking the power of AI for business-wide transformation, focusing more on the possibilities & challenges for larger enterprises versus small/medium businesses. One of the key points in the discussion is also the question of "buy vs. build" when implementing AI models and what the best practices for enterprises will be in that regard. We close with tips on how to drive a more holistic rather than siloed AI transformation, as well as a few more general tips for streamlining your AI strategy. Links & mentions: linkedin.com/in/janpilhar ibmix.de

Nick Petroski is the founder of Promethean Research, a boutique consultancy which helps digital agencies grow more reliably with higher margins and simpler operations. In this episode, we discuss how generative AI and large language models are impacting digital agencies. We cover why and how the decline in agency growth started and how the explosion of generative AI since last year's public release of ChatGPT 3.5 further affected digital agencies and their strategies for the future. Links & mentions: prometheanresearch.com prometheanresearch.ck.page/posts/how-s-your-agency-s-pipeline prometheanresearch.com/artificial-intelligence-is-disrupting-digital-agencies

Matt Ellis is Senior Manager of the CIO Advisory Practice at BearingPoint, an independent multinational management and technology consulting firm. In this episode, we talk about the 1972 Volkswagen Beetle and what modern-day digital transformation lessons we can learn from it, focusing on exponential growth and the costs of remaining on outdated legacy technology. Links & mentions: bearingpoint.com linkedin.com/in/ellismw