AI Knowhow Episode 93 Overview
- Discover why your ability to spot subtle signals, often overlooked or ignored by traditional metrics, can make or break growth and retention
- Learn how AI can not only identify critical signals but also help business leaders determine which insights are actionable
- Explore real-world examples of how AI can enhance and inform human judgment rather than replace it
What do an Oura ring and AI have in common? More than you might think. Both provide early warnings of critical issues that might otherwise remain unnoticed, allowing for proactive intervention. Just as an Oura ring can detect subtle health anomalies before they become major problems, AI tools can identify hidden signals within client relationships that traditional metrics often miss.
Recognizing these subtle indicators early can prevent client dissatisfaction from escalating into attrition, fundamentally transforming how businesses approach driving strategic growth. On episode 93 of AI Knowhow, host Courtney Baker, David DeWolf, and Mohan Rao explore the subtle yet critical signals businesses often overlook that, if missed, can lead to silent churn.
They also give the audience a quick overview of some of the latest additions to the Knownwell platform. We recently made a big update that gives leaders even more tools to understand the health of their entire portfolio and where they should focus their energy and efforts to make the greatest impact.
The goal? As David says, “Telling you what you need to know before you even need to know it. It is answering the question you don’t have to ask. And that is the power of AI that we’re starting to see come to fruition.” If you’re interested in seeing the latest in Knownwell, you can schedule time to take a look here.
AI in the News: Mandatory AI at Microsoft?
Courtney and Pete kick off the episode looking at a recent story detailing how at least one division in Microsoft is being told to lean more heavily on AI…or else. While much of the logic behind the mandate is understandable, might there be a less heavy-handed way to increase adoption than baking AI utilization into performance reviews, as the memo suggests may happen? We’d like to think so.
Pete also asks a larger question that many are wrestling with: if we’re being instructed that turning to AI for help accomplishing work should always be the first resort, what does that do to our ability to think critically? The down-the-line implications and unintended consequences of such a mandate may not be pretty.
Expert Interview: Part 2 of Our Interview with Matt Stauffer
Matt Stauffer, CEO of Tighten, joins Pete Buer for this week’s expert interview segment. Matt and Pete continue their conversation on where and when to integrate AI into business workflows (or not). Matt emphasizes that successful AI adoption isn’t about wholesale replacement of human roles but rather targeted augmentation.
He shares Tighten’s approach, where AI tools handle routine tasks, enabling developers to dedicate their attention to complex problem-solving and strategic thinking. Matt candidly points out that they’re essentially treating AI as a “junior programmer” whose work still very much requires human review and intervention.
Pete and Matt also look at how board members can evaluate whether their portfolio company CEOs are up to the challenge of discerning when and where to deploy AI in their companies. One of the first questions Matt says he would ask CEOs is how they’re personally experimenting with AI. A CEO who has hands-on experience with AI is far less prone to make the mistake of trying to apply AI in every situation.
“As much as I think AI is a wonderful tool,” Matt says, “I’d prefer skepticism over magical thinking.”
Watch the Episode
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Listen to the Episode
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Show Notes
- Connect with Tighten CEO Matt Stauffer on LinkedIn
- Learn about Tighten, Matt’s company that builds and rescues web apps and dev teams
- Connect with David DeWolf on LinkedIn
- Connect with Mohan Rao on LinkedIn
- Connect with Courtney Baker on LinkedIn
- Connect with Pete Buer on LinkedIn
- Get a guided Knownwell demo
- Follow Knownwell on LinkedIn
