We’re turning up the heat once again! After last year’s sizzling Hot Takes episode, we had to run it back for 2025.

Knownwell CMO Courtney Baker is joined by CEO David DeWolf and Chief Product & Technology Officer Mohan Rao to deliver their boldest AI predictions yet. What shifts are coming in AI? Which trends are about to fizzle out? And what might shake up the industry in unexpected ways?

In our expert interview segment, Pete Buer sits down with AI and digital transformation expert Dr. Henna Karna, a Harvard Fellow and former Google executive. She shares practical strategies for business leaders to ensure AI is solving real problems and not just creating new ones. From cost concerns to strategic adoption, Dr. Karna explains how companies can maximize AI’s potential without getting caught up in the hype.

Grab your milk, ice cream, or (according to Mohan) hot chocolate—this one’s gonna be on fire!

www.knownwell.com 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0ST1zZV4MNU  Episode Highlights

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:00 Setting the Stage for 2025 Predictions
• 02:18 First Hot Take: The End of AI-Powered Marketing
• 04:00 Second Hot Take: Data is Dead
• 06:40 Third Hot Take: The Decline of Open Source Models
• 08:41 Fourth Hot Take: OpenAI's Impending Implosion
• 13:47 Google's Edge in AI Integration
• 16:32 AI in Business Strategy
• 17:09 Interview with Dr. Henna Karna
• 18:38 AI's Role in Strategic Planning
• 24:08 Cost and AI Adoption
• 26:41 Customer-Centric AI Solutions
• 29:57 Conclusion and Future of AI

Show Notes 

• Connect with Dr. Henna Karna on LinkedIn
• Connect with David DeWolf on LinkedIn
• Connect with Courtney Baker on LinkedIn
• Connect with Mohan Rao on LinkedIn
• Connect with Pete Buer on LinkedIn
• Watch a guided Knownwell demo
• Follow Knownwell on LinkedIn

Data is pouring into your business every second, but where are the insights you need to act on it? Just 27% of business executives in a recent Forrester study said their data and analytics projects produce actionable insights. 

In this episode, we look at how AI can help bridge the gap between the overwhelming amounts of data available today and the actionable intelligence executives need to drive results.

Knownwell CMO Courtney Baker, CEO David DeWolf, and Chief Product and Technology Officer Mohan Rao kick things off by breaking down the journey from raw data to wisdom. They discuss why 60-70% of enterprise data goes unanalyzed and how leaders can leverage AI to surface hidden insights, not just confirm what they already know. Plus, they explain why vision is critical: if you don’t know what you’re looking for, your AI won’t either.

For our expert interview, Pete Buer sits down with Arman Eshraghi, CEO of Qrvey, to discuss how SaaS companies can embed analytics into their products, empowering customers with self-serve insights. Arman shares practical advice for SaaS leaders on turning data into a competitive advantage, plus a sneak peek of Knownwell's own Mohan Rao’s recent appearance on Arman's SaaS Scaled podcast.

All of that PLUS another installment of AI in the Wild with Pete Buer. Pete and Courtney dive into OpenAI’s new deep research tool—an AI agent that might actually live up to the hype, according to Casey Newton of Platformer. Learn why it could revolutionize market research and competitive analysis but why it's also best suited for those with a foundational understanding of the topic at hand.

Want to turn your business data into clear, actionable insights? Visit knownwell.com to learn more about the Knownwell platform.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gNEMu_uLvGE 

• Connect with Arman Eshraghi on LinkedIn
• Connect with David DeWolf on LinkedIn
• Connect with Courtney Baker on LinkedIn
• Connect with Mohan Rao on LinkedIn
• Connect with Pete Buer on LinkedIn
• Watch a guided Knownwell demo
• Read The Human Impact of Data Literacy from Accenture, which includes a number of stats cited in the episode
• Follow Knownwell on LinkedIn

Tags: #AI #DataAnalytics #BusinessIntelligence #AIinBusiness #EmbeddedAnalytics #DataInsights #SaaS #AIforExecutives #CustomerInsights #DataStrategy #EnterpriseAI #OpenAI #DeepResearch #AIApplications #BusinessGrowth

What does an AI roadmap really look like? And how does a corporate AI roadmap differ from a personal one? In this episode of AI Knowhow from Knownwell, host Courtney Baker is joined by Knownwell’s CEO David DeWolf, Chief Product & Technology Officer Mohan Rao, and NordLight CEO Pete Buer to break it all down.

First, the team explores how business leaders can chart a clear AI strategy—starting with vision, linking it to business goals, and balancing customer feedback with long-term objectives. David and Mohan share insights on making micro-pivots, avoiding roadmap confusion, and the key decision every company must make: Is AI a tool, or is it your operating system?

Special guest Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek, author of Your AI Roadmap, sits down with Pete to discuss how professionals can future-proof their careers with an AI strategy of their own. She shares why a strong personal brand, multiple income streams, and financial security are essential in the AI era and how workers can position themselves for long-term success.

And in AI in the Wild, Courtney and Pete dig into AI-designed shoes. A new shoe combines AI-driven custom fitting with personalized footwear, raising big questions about AI’s role in design, manufacturing, and consumer trends. Is it just a gimmick or a glimpse of AI-powered retail to come?

Sign up for Knownwell’s AI-powered platform for Commercial Intelligence: www.knownwell.com 

Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/FbmzNS1KV_0 

You’re smart. You know your business cold. But do you know how to build the right AI team? It’s harder than it looks, and the old innovation playbook just won’t cut it.

Pete Buer sits down with Ben Hafele, CEO of Lean Startup and host of The Lean AI Podcast, to discuss how to assemble the right AI team. They explore what skill sets are essential, how to balance technical and strategic talent, and why AI teams need a different structure than traditional innovation groups.

As always, host Courtney Baker is joined by CEO David DeWolf and Chief Product & Technology Officer Mohan Rao for a panel discussion where they further break down the key differences between AI innovation teams and traditional ones. Plus, we cover a few more burning questions about building the right AI team, like does Amazon’s famous “two-pizza rule” still apply in the AI era? 

To kick the episode off, we dive into what might be the most game-changing week in AI since ChatGPT launched. With Producer Will Sherlin stepping in to help, Pete Buer unpacks the frenzy around DeepSeek’s new open-source AI model. How did this Chinese startup manage to train a cutting-edge model at a fraction of the cost of OpenAI and Meta? And why does this mark a "Sputnik moment" for AI development? From business leaders to investors, the ripple effects could be massive.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sHmj55qkYR0  Sign up for Knownwell’s beta: www.knownwell.com 

Is your organization held back by departmental silos where the necessary data and information doesn't always flow between them? AI might just be the key to breaking these silos down.

Pete Buer kicks things off with an interview featuring Josh Okun, Chief Innovation Officer at Gravity Global. Josh shares how AI is helping global teams collaborate across time zones, optimize creative processes, and foster dynamic relationships within organizations. Discover how his team at Gravity Global leverages AI tools like custom GPTs and RAG to turn static brand guidelines into dynamic resources that streamline decision-making at every level. Pete and Josh also explore the transformative power of AI in creating "living brands," synthetic audiences, and innovative teamwork models.

Next up, Knownwell CMO Courtney Baker dives into how AI is reshaping collaboration and creativity within organizations. Alongside Knownwell CEO David DeWolf and Chief Product Officer Mohan Rao,  they expand on Pete and Josh's discussion, touching on leadership’s role in AI adoption and debating whether change must come from the top or emerge from empowered teams. David and Mohan weigh in on fostering innovation through AI clubs and cultural shifts. 

Plus, Pete wraps up the episode with a segment on the growing potential of AI-driven "physical intelligence" and its implications for businesses in 2025.

00:00 Introduction: Breaking Down Silos with AI 00:53 Interview with Josh Okun: AI in Business 03:28 AI in Creative and Beyond 06:46 The Future of AI in Marketing 10:09 Leadership and AI Adoption 19:45 Empowerment and Innovation Culture 28:04 Physical Intelligence: The Next Frontier 30:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IxdukUrCDyw  Sign up for Knownwell at www.knownwell.com. 

What if AI could reduce a three-month project to just three days?

In this episode, Knownwell CMO Courtney Baker explores how AI is reshaping professional services with the help of CEO David DeWolf, CPO Mohan Rao, and NordLight CEO Pete Buer.

Pete sits down with Matt Pasienski, CEO and co-founder of Pact, to discuss AI's evolution from simple tools to intelligent copilots and the rise of autonomous agents. Matt shares insights from his journey as a services CEO and how Pact is building AI-driven project management copilots. They dive into the implications of AI on management, accountability, and value chain variability, including how copilots can surface risks, identify new opportunities, and transform business operations.

Later, the panel dissects Matt’s takeaways, reflecting on the balance between efficiency and effectiveness in AI adoption and the cultural challenges of integrating AI at scale. They also explore how leadership can act as the "agent core" to navigate the mismatches that arise when parts of the organization move 10x faster.

In the AI in the Wild segment, Pete and Courtney discuss Ai-Da, the humanoid robot artist whose painting of Alan Turing recently sold for $1.1 million at auction (NYT gift article). The work Ai-Da is capable of producing, and the team it took to create her, challenges our assumptions about creativity and AI’s role in art and innovation.

Ready to stop losing clients and surprise churn? Visit Knownwell.com to learn how our tools can help professional service firms transform customer retention.

What does it take to scale a technology services firm to $250 million and beyond in 2025?

In this episode of AI Knowhow, Knownwell CEO David DeWolf and NordLight CEO Pete Buer share invaluable insights from their own journeys of scaling firms to exponential growth. They also explain just how AI is rewriting the rules.

David and Pete delve into the challenges that tech service leaders face as they move from linear scaling to a steeper revenue curve. From the hunt for "gold-plated unicorn" talent to managing bespoke and complex delivery models, they unpack the unique obstacles and offer solutions rooted in AI. They explain how AI can streamline operations, elevate client relationships, and help leaders focus on strategy—not just survival.

This episode also explores four game-changing strategies, including AI-driven commercial intelligence, which enables firms to identify client risks and opportunities earlier than ever. You’ll also hear why top-down AI adoption, combined with value-stream mapping, is critical to achieving transformative, not incremental, change.

Watch this full conversation at Knownwell.com/scaling.

Are you ready for AI that doesn’t need instructions?

And if AI shifts from being an order-taker to an order-maker, what does that mean for how we interact with it?

Welcome to 2025! In this special New Year kickoff episode, we dive into the transformative power of Agentic AI, launching the year's first themed series on Scaling with AI.

This episode features a compelling discussion with Charlene Li, New York Times bestselling author of The Disruption Mindset and Winning with Generative AI: The 90-Day Blueprint for Success. Charlene talks with Pete Buer about why 2025 is set to be the year of Agentic AI and provides powerful examples of its impact across industries—from healthcare to consulting services. She shares how businesses can use AI agents to eliminate bottlenecks, streamline decision-making, and gain a competitive edge.

Following this, Knownwell Chief Marketing Officer Courtney Baker is joined by Knownwell CEO David DeWolf and Chief Product and Technology Officer Mohan Rao. Together, they react to Charlene’s insights, comparing the AI revolution to the Industrial Revolution and exploring the leadership challenges in navigating this shift. The panel discusses how Agentic AI will redefine knowledge management, enhance CEO effectiveness, and shape the future of leadership.

2025 can be the year where AI helps you scale your business to the next level. Go to knownwell.com to sign up for our beta.

What AI strategies and tactics should you prioritize in 2025?

And how can executives inspire their teams to embrace AI?

In this episode, Knownwell's Courtney Baker is joined by CEO David DeWolf, Chief Product Officer Mohan Rao, and NordLight CEO Pete Buer to outline four key AI strategies every leader needs: adopting an AI-first mindset, fostering human-AI collaboration, leveraging predictive analytics, and prioritizing user experience in AI tools.

David, Mohan, and Courtney share actionable insights for embedding AI into your organization's workflows.

Special guest Christian Madsbjerg, author and co-founder of the Human Activity Research Laboratory, joins Pete to discuss putting humans at the center of AI efforts. From longitudinal studies in Brazil to reshaping relationships with technology, Christian reveals why balancing innovation with human impact is critical as AI evolves.

Ready to power your company's success in 2025? Visit Knownwell.com to sign up for our beta waitlist.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MuHZMsXxuv4 

Did David DeWolf’s bold 2024 AI predictions hold up? And what’s next for AI in 2025? Join Courtney Baker, Knownwell CEO David DeWolf, and Chief Product and Technology Officer Mohan Rao as they recap last year’s forecasts and dive into fresh predictions for the future of AI. From advancements in AI-first enterprise products to the rise of agentic AI, our panel explores what’s real, what’s hype, and how businesses can prepare.

Special guest Andrew Abela, author of Superhabits:The Universal System for a Successful Life and Dean of the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America, joins Pete Buer to discuss how AI can complement human virtues, foster better decision-making, and help us grow into our best selves. His insights on humanity and technology offer a powerful perspective on aligning progress with purpose.

All that PLUS, in a brand-new segment "Secret Agent Man," Pete breaks down the emerging wave of agentic AI. Learn how AI agents could revolutionize team structures and workflows, and why executives need to start planning for these autonomous tools.

Don’t miss out on this exciting episode filled with retrospectives, bold forecasts, and actionable insights.

Find out more about Knownwell’s AI platform at Knownwell.com and start transforming your business today: www.knownwell.com 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/z7Y4LKjZq2k