In this episode, it's part two of a  three-part series with Sean Bhardwaj from Breakthrough Growth Partners. If you missed part one, we highly recommend going back to listen - it sets the foundation for today's discussion.

This week, we're tackling the uncomfortable truth about AI adoption: why most AI initiatives fail (it's usually not because of the technology itself!).  Sean breaks down the five major pitfalls that consistently trip up businesses, no matter how big or small your business is, and provides practical guidance on how to avoid these costly mistakes.

We also cover some notable AI news developments, including OpenAI's new ChatGPT Agent, Mistral AI's latest updates, and an entertaining follow-up to our Atari chess story that you won't want to miss.

Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, or business owner trying to navigate AI adoption thoughtfully, this episode provides actionable frameworks you can implement immediately.

What You'll Learn:

• Why 80-90% of AI pilots fail and how to avoid being part of that statistic

• Sean's five-pitfall framework for successful AI implementation

• How to identify and address shadow AI usage in your organization

• Strategies for building team confidence in AI tools without overwhelming busy schedules

• How to determine if your company is ready for AI adoption

  
  

Chapters:

04:04 The Pitfalls of AI and How to Avoid Them

05:53 Pitfalls of Implementing AI and How to Avoid Them

07:29 Pitfall #1: Ready, Fire, Aim - Misaligned Goals

13:36 Pitfall #2: Weak Leadership or Team Support

18:44 Pitfall #3: Data Quality & Tech Foundations

29:55 Pitfall #4: Ethics & Compliance Gaps

35:54 Pitfall 5: Underdeveloped Skills & Culture

40:52 How to Avoid AI Pitfalls

43:42 How to Rebuild Trust When Things Go Wrong

45:35 Are Some Companies Just Not Ready for AI?

53:23 AI News Gone Wrong

01:00:07 AI Gone Wrong: Atari vs Gemini

Get in touch with Sean:

Website: https://breakthroughgrow.com/

Email: [email protected]

Get in touch with Early Adoptr:

[email protected]

Follow Us on Socials & Resources:

https://linktr.ee/early_adoptr

If this episode provided valuable insights for your AI strategy, please share it with other business owners who could benefit from this practical approach to AI adoption.

Jess and Kyle are joined by their first guest, Sean Bhardwaj from Breakthrough Growth Partners!  This is part one of a two-part series that dives deep into AI transformation and policy fundamentals, and honestly, it's the conversation every business owner needs to hear right now. Spoiler alert: your team is already using AI tools whether you know it or not, and it's time to get strategic about it.

Sean brings some serious wisdom about why AI isn't just another productivity hack - it's a foundational shift that requires intentional leadership. He shares why we're not actually late to the AI party (despite what the hype suggests), how this technological shift compares to everything from the printing press to the internet, and why the companies that master "proficiency before efficiency" will dominate the next decade.

Plus, we tackle some major AI news that'll affect your business: the EU AI Act is going live way sooner than expected (August 2nd, not 2026!), there's surprisingly good environmental news, and Grok had such a spectacularly bad week.

Fair warning: Sean's insights will completely change how you think about AI adoption. This isn't just about tools - it's about transformation, culture change, and building the infrastructure for responsible AI use before you desperately need it.

00:00: Intro and Welcome Sean!

04:37: Your Team's Secret AI Addiction (And Why You Should Care)

09:38: We've Seen This Movie Before: Why This Time Is Different

20:50: Can I Touch That AI? Timelines to AI Transformation

27:25: The Rogue Intern: Why AI Needs Context

37:02: Stop Sending More Emails: The Real AI Transformation

47:44: AI Policy Takeaways

48:51: AI News of the Week: EU AI Act & Renewable Energy for AI

58:21: AI Gone Wrong: Grok's No Good, Very Bad Week

01:05:07: Wrap Up & Top Tips

Get in touch with Sean: 

https://breakthroughgrow.com/ 

[email protected]

Follow us on socials!

https://linktr.ee/early_adoptr

Meet the hosts of Early Adoptr, Jess and Kyle. We're here to make AI your unfair advantage.

An introduction to the faces on screen and the minds behind Early Adoptr, the practical podcast guide to all things AI. Perfect for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and professionals ready to leverage artificial intelligence, Early Adoptr transforms AI into your unfair advantage.

Welcome to the episode where Jess and Kyle finally tackle the elephant in the room! This is a long, but very important one. While they've been showing you all the amazing ways AI can supercharge your business, this week they're diving deep into the ethical implications that every entrepreneur needs to understand. Spoiler alert: AI ethics isn't just about doing the right thing (though that's important!) – it's about protecting your business, managing risks, and staying competitive in an increasingly complex landscape.

From carbon footprints to bias, job displacement to deepfakes, this episode covers the good, the bad, and the ugly moments. Plus, they share some genuinely exciting AI breakthroughs that'll restore your faith in technology's potential to change lives for the better.

Chapters(00:00) The Elephant in the Room: The Ethics of AI (06:28) The Environmental Impact of AI(19:59) Bias in AI(30:10) AI's Impact on Job Dynamics(36:30) Concentration of Power in AI Companies(42:30) Misinformation and Deepfakes as a Business Threats(46:46) Data Ownership and Privacy Concerns(51:27) AI Autonomy vs Human Oversight(54:36) Key Takeaways on AI Ethics(59:07) AI News of the Week: Denmark Fights Back Against Deepfakes(01:03:02) AI Gone Right: Breakthrough in Dementia Diagnosis Using AI

All Resources:

https://linktr.ee/early_adoptr

In this episode, Jess and Kyle dive deep into real-world AI agent use cases, moving beyond theory to show you how you can create an AI agent today. They share their framework for identifying which tasks should become agents (versus simple automations), walk through actual examples they've built, and introduce the concept of "fun-gents" - low-stakes AI projects perfect for beginners. Plus, they cover Anthropic's major legal victory and why one startup's controversial "cheating" AI is getting roasted online.

Chapter Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction and Background
• [02:40] Where Do I Even Begin: AI Agents: The Sequel
• [08:17] Where Do I Even Begin: Framework for Identifying AI Agent Opportunities
• [19:38] Where Do I Even Begin: When NOT to Use An Agent
• [22:12] Where Do I Even Begin: Real World Use Cases for Agents
• [40:49] WTF is a Fun-Gent and How do I Build One?
• [49:10] AI News of the Week: Major Legal Victory for Anthropic
• [52:06] AI Gone Wrong: Deceptive Marketing from Cluely
• [54:29] Quick Wins for the Week

Resources:

• Anthropic's Fair Use Victory - https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-ai-copyright-fair-use-piracy-ruling/

Connect with Early Adoptr

• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-adoptr
• TikTok: @early_adoptr
• Instagram: @early_adoptr
• YouTube: @early_adoptr

In this episode of Early Adoptr, Jess returns from the scorching Cannes Lions with insights on how AI is transforming advertising and business. She and Kyle break down the critical difference between AI agents and agentic AI - two terms everyone's using interchangeably but shouldn't be. From real-world examples at Cannes to building personal assistant workflows, they explore the ladder of AI autonomy and why understanding these distinctions matters for your business decisions.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro & Insights from Cannes Lions12:46 Where Do I Even Begin: WTF are Agents?36:30 AI Agents & Limitations42:32 AI News of the Week: AI causes cognitive decline (?) and Meta privacy concerns51:01 AI Gone Wrong: ChatGPT vs Atari

Resources:

- ChatGPT causes cognitive decline: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ai-chatgpt-essays-cognitive-decline-b2774224.html

- Meta AI App is a Privacy Disaster: https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/12/the-meta-ai-app-is-a-privacy-disaster/

- Atari vs ChatGPT: https://www.pcmag.com/news/chatgpt-gets-absolutely-wrecked-in-chess-match-with-1978-atari

In this episode, Jess and Kyle deep dive into deep research - the game-changing tools that can turn you into an expert on any topic before your morning coffee. We'll help you discover how to get PhD-level insights without the PhD-level time investment. Plus, we share our first user user case, break down this week's biggest AI news including OpenAI's data retention drama, Meta's big AI investment, and Disney's copyright battle with Midjourney, and why it all matters for your business.

Chapters:

00:00 Did Jenson Really Say That?

03:55What Does Cold Brew Have to Do with AI?

07:29Where Do I Even Begin: Deep Research

13:15 Where Do I Even Begin: Deep Research Behind the Scenes

17:39 Where Do I Even Begin: Deep Research Tools

23:19 Where Do I Even Begin: Deep Research Use Cases

34:47 Using AI to Help With a Difficult Supplier

39:09 AI News of the Week: OpenAI vs NYT, Midjourney Sued and Scale.ai + Meta

47:10 AI Gone Wrong: Claude Blackmails Engineers

50:54 AI Safety and Oversight

52:19 Wrap Up

Connect:

• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-adoptr⁠
• TikTok: @early_adoptr
• Instagram: @early_adoptr

In this episode, Jess and Kyle talk AI at SXSW London, and we do a deep dive in Custom GPTs, aka specialized AI assistants that can revolutionize how small businesses operate. We talk about how Mary Meeker’s AI report and Meta’s AI ad creation will affect small businesses and entrepreneurs, as well as the cautionary tale of Builder.ai. 

• [00:00] Intro

• [00:50] Welcome to Episode 4: What we've been up to this week

• [07:16] Where Do I Even Begin: GPTs

• [10:03] Custom GPTs: Revolutionizing AI Applications

• [22:56] Custom GPTs - Real World Examples

• [28:36] Poll of the Week

• [29:54] AI News of the Week: Mary Meeker's Report & Meta Goes Full AI Ads

• [40:48] AI Gone Wrong: Builder.ai

• [47:18] Quick Wins!

  
  

  RESOURCES:

  
  

• Mary Meeker AI Report 2025 - https://www.bondcap.com/report/tai/ 

• Meta AI Ad Creation - https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/02/facebook-instagram-meta-ai-ad-media-advertising 

• Builder.ai goes bust - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-30/builder-ai-faked-business-with-indian-firm-verse-to-inflate-sales-sources-say 

  
  

  CONNECT:

  
  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/early-adoptr 

• TikTok: @early_adoptr

• Instagram: @early_adoptr

In this episode of Early Adopter, hosts Jess and Kyle dive deep into the game-changing world of AI prompt engineering - and trust us, this isn't just another tech tutorial! They share their hard-won insights on how to actually talk to AI tools in ways that get you amazing results (spoiler: most people are doing it completely wrong). From the universal truths of prompting to avoiding the pitfalls, the duo walks you through practical frameworks like RACE and CARE that you can use immediately. Plus, they dish on the latest Anthropic announcements, talk hardware, and their favorite AI fails of the week. Whether you're an AI skeptic or already obsessed, this episode will change how you work with these powerful tools.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Early Adoptr & Intros

04:08 Where Do I Even Begin? Prompt Engineering 101

12:48 Prompt Engineering 101: The Universal Truths of Prompt Engineering

15:07 Prompt Engineering 101: Always Be Iterating

20:32 Prompt Engineering 101: RACE framework

25:03 Prompt Engineering 101: CARE framework

26:32 Prompt Engineering 101: Real World Examples

33:22 Prompt Engineering 101: Avoid the Pitfalls

38:25 Poll of the Week...or not?

39:00 AI News That Matters

46:30 AI Gone Wrong - ChatGPT Update

49:13 Wrap-Up and Key Takeaways

50:46 Keeping Up

Takeaways:

• Stop blaming AI for bad results - it's probably your prompts that need work
• The secret sauce: giving AI context is like giving directions to a really smart friend
• Specific, detailed instructions aren't being picky - they're being effective
• Don't get it right the first time? Good! Iteration is where the magic happens
• Understanding how AI actually thinks will make you a prompting wizard
• Frameworks aren't just corporate buzzwords - RACE and CARE actually work
• The AI world is moving fast, and businesses that adapt will crush the competition
• Always fact-check AI - it's brilliant but not infallible
• Your AI outputs will only be as good as your inputs (garbage in, garbage out)
• Think of AI as your incredibly capable but literal-minded assistant
• Building a collection of proven prompts is like having a superpower