In this episode, Lee sits down with Rich Swier and special guest Richard Partridge, whose journey from zoology and conservation into tech leadership and AI advocacy is anything but typical. From starting as a zoology major to becoming COO at New Line, Richard’s story shows how curiosity, reinvention, and a willingness to experiment can completely reshape a career in the age of AI.

They break down how a single high‑pressure customer deadline pushed Richard’s team to fully embrace AI in their development process, cutting build time in half and permanently changing how they ship software. You will hear how AI is melting traditional silos between sales, dev, professional services, and customer success, why “vibe coding” is unlocking hidden builders inside non‑technical roles, and how agentic AI is starting to capture decades of tribal knowledge from 40‑year veterans. The conversation also dives into AI‑ready data, vectorization, hyper‑personalized UX on top of existing systems of record, and why vertical SaaS companies may be in the best position to win this next wave.

If you are a founder, developer, tech leader, or AI‑curious operator, this episode will challenge how you think about software, jobs, and what it means to be “technical” in 2026. Stick around to hear why the future might not be “one new Salesforce,” but a million smaller, AI‑powered experiences built by people just like you. Like, subscribe, and hit the bell to stay updated on new episodes, and check the timestamps below to jump to your favorite sections, plus links to tools and resources mentioned in the show.

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