By the end of this In The Loop episode, you’ll have a clear breakdown of the five categories of AI features SaaS companies are launching right now—and the frameworks product teams can use to design them. From small, delightful UX enhancements to semi-autonomous AI agents and powerful standalone AI-native platforms, I walk you through how companies like Google, Stripe, Notion, Attio, and Mindset AI are thinking about their AI strategy.

After reading Rich Holmes' fantastic analysis from the Department of Product, which reviewed 25+ major AI feature launches, I was inspired to dig into this topic. I’ve taken that foundation and layered on what I’m seeing firsthand with Mindset AI customers and in the AI products we’re building. 

Whether you're a founder, product manager, or just AI-curious, this episode will give you a practical lens for understanding how the next wave of software is being built.

⏩ Episode Highlights

(00:40) – Type 1: Embedded UX—invisible, contextual, yet powerful AI features

(07:00) – Type 2: AI Agents that control existing functionality and why they’re a game-changer

(10:40) – Type 3: Domain-specialized workflow agents tailored to Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)

(13:25) – Type 4: Gen Ai-focused features (glance-over)

(14:05) – Type 5: AI-native standalone apps and how they’re redefining entire categories—while disrupting traditional SaaS

Links & Resources:

🔗 Rich Homes, Department of Product: Deep (on Substack)

💌 Interested in our upcoming product launches and the private Beta? Subscribe here to get notified.

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀

This week’s In The Loop dives into the battle for the future of AI computing—and it’s getting fierce. In this episode, I break down three major AI battlegrounds that could reshape how we code, search, shop, and interact online. It’s Google vs. OpenAI vs. Meta in a high-stakes war that’s as much about market dominance as it is about redefining how we use technology every day.

From Google's game-changing Gemini 2.5 launch to Meta’s bold push into consumer AI with their latest app, and OpenAI’s stealthy assault on Google Search, I connect the dots between strategy, product releases, and billion-dollar plays. There’s a lot happening under the surface—and some of these moves could fundamentally shift who owns your digital attention.

⏭️ Episode highlights

(00:35) – Battleground #1: AI coding

(02:20) – Battleground #2: Consumer AI market

(09:30) – Battleground #3: Search & Shopping

🔗 Related Links

EP14 - What's AI ReallyUsed For: The Real State Of AI Adoption In 2025

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends.

In this episode of In The Loop, I unpack the most compelling AI research released so far this year—highlighting how generative AI is being used not just as a productivity booster but as a deeply embedded layer in both personal and professional lives. Drawing on new data from Harvard Business Review and KPMG, I explore what the top 10 use cases in 2025 really say about the direction of society, the workplace, and how business leaders need to respond.

You'll hear my take on the rise of use cases like organizing life, enhanced learning, and even therapy and companionship—and why these shifts reflect a broader redefinition of how we measure value, capability, and contribution. I’ll also dig into the hidden AI behaviors inside companies, including the 57% of employees who still conceal their AI usage from management. This isn’t just about tools—it’s about trust, talent models, and the next evolution of organizational design.

⏭️ Episode Highlights:

(00:40) – The top 10 global use cases for AI in 2025—and what’s been displaced since last year.

(04:05) – AI in our everyday life: The sharp rise in AI for personal support, therapy, and companionship.

(06:30) – Lessons from OpenAI’s recent ChatGPT update, the most sycophantic model out there.

(10:00) – AI at the workplace: How AI is augmenting, not replacing, human-centric roles like coaching, education, and wellness.

(15:00) – A call to action for leaders: build trust, lead from the top, and reshape how your teams work with AI.

🔗 Related Links

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀

In this episode of In The Loop, I unpack the viral storm surrounding a startup that’s made headlines—and sparked outrage—with a bold statement: “We want to cheat on everything.” Cluely, has built an AI tool designed to help users breeze through interviews, exams, and more by feeding them real-time answers. Is this tech genius or just glorified dishonesty?

We’ll take a look at the firestorm Cluely has ignited, break down the biggest critiques (and why they matter), and explore how society, education, and even hiring might be forced to evolve. I also share my personal perspective on why narratives shape our cultural reaction to tools like this—and why this conversation is way bigger than just one startup’s viral campaign.

Episode Highlights

(01:00) - How Cluely’s Roy Lee and his co-founder went viral—and got suspended from Columbia

(03:35) - Clash of values: The three main criticisms: dishonesty, human development, and societal collapse

(07:00) - Cluely’s defense: is this just the next wave of tech progress?

(10:30) - Cheating or smart strategy? The grey areas of AI-assisted testing

(13:30) - Where we go from here—and what it means for us all

🔗 Related Links

Cluely's viral ad (YouTube)

EP11 - Shopify Memo: No Humans Hired Without AI Approval—Tobias Lütke's Vision

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀

Google’s Agent2Agent (A2A) is a brand new protocol to facilitate communication between independent AI agents—but what does this actually mean?

Imagine waking up to a push notification that your fridge has been restocked, your flight’s been rerouted around bad weather, and your taxes were filed—all while you were sleeping. No apps. No tabs. Just invisible agents handling your life. Sounds futuristic? In this episode of In The Loop, I dig into what could make that scenario a reality: Google’s new Agent-to-Agent protocol, or A2A.

This isn’t just a nerdy dive into AI plumbing—this is the foundation that might define how AI agents talk, collaborate, and make your digital life seamless. We explore why A2A could become the “HTTP for AI,” how it works with the Model-Context Protocol (MCP), and why it matters for developers, companies, and, yep, even governments. If you're building in the AI space or just fascinated by how the future gets built, you’re gonna want to listen to this.

Episode Highlights

(01:00) - A recap of multi-agent systems

(02:50) - Why Google’s Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol is crucial for the next phase of agentic AI

(06:55) - Orchestrator agents and what can go wrong when agents don’t work together

(09:50) - The key components of the A2A protocol 

(12:05) - What the A2A protocol means to You: the future of personal assistants—and the dark side of this innovation

(18:40) - Where does this leave us? Will A2A become widely adopted or will it flop?

Links & Resources

👀 Related episodes you might like

EP8 - Model Context Protocol (MCP): The Newest AI Buzzword Explained

EP6 - Multi-Agent Systems: The Next Big Shift In AI—Yet People Have No Clue About Them

EP3 - The Real AI Challenge: Designing Human-Agent Interfaces That Work

📕 Book recommendation

AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future by Chen Qiufan and Kai-Fu Lee

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀

This week, I’m unpacking one of the boldest corporate moves we’ve seen for a while—a memo from Shopify’s CEO that might just signal the beginning of a new AI-first era in the workplace. Shopify’s Tobias Lütke dropped a bombshell: no new human hires unless it’s been proven first that AI can't do the job. The policy has sparked everything from praise to panic, and we need to talk about what it really means.

In this episode of In The Loop, I deep dive into the Shopify AI memo, dissect the reactions it’s stirred online, and explore what this could mean for your job, your future, and the broader workplace. Will other CEOs follow suit? Is this about cutting costs or doubling down on innovation? And what happens to junior workers in an AI-first world? Let’s break it all down.

Episode Highlights

(00:50) - The Shopify memo from Tobias Lütke: a CEO mandate to justify human hiring - Read the memo on our blog

(08:10) - Breaking down the key points Tobias Lütke made in his AI-first message

(09:15) - Saying the quiet part out loud

(17:00) - How does the next five years look like?

(20:00) - My final takeaway: this is either visionary leadership, or the start of a tough reckoning

Links & Resources

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀

In this episode of In The Loop, I break down one of the most jaw-dropping AI updates we’ve seen for a few years—the new ChatGPT image generator that’s now baked directly into GPT-4. It’s fast, playful, and wildly powerful. You can take any photo and instantly transform it into something that looks straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. It’s fun—until it gets complicated…

I dive into how this model actually works, why it’s such a leap forward, and what it means for artists, creatives, and entire industries. From copyright dilemmas and lawsuits to cultural questions and job displacement, this tech is stirring up some big conversations. Whether you’re experimenting with AI art for fun or thinking deeply about its implications, this episode helps you make sense of it all.

Episode Timeline: Key Highlights

(01:00) – The magic of the ChatGPT image generator and why it’s blowing up

(02:40) – What makes GPT-4o’s image generator tool different from DALL·E and diffusion models

(06:30) – The cultural and ethical impact – The Ghibli debate: Art homage vs. imitation and cultural appropriation

(08:25) – Copyright grey zones: can style be protected by law?

(13:10) – The business and workforce impact – How creative careers might shift—and who’s at risk of being replaced

(15:30) – Final thoughts: will AI homogenize art, or spark a new wave of creativity?

Links & Resources:

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀

Apple has always been a leader in tech innovation—but what if it’s about to lose its grip? In this episode, I dive deep into why Apple’s AI strategy is falling apart, from the failed launch of Apple Intelligence to the internal chaos that has executives calling their own products "embarrassing." Could Apple really become the next BlackBerry or Nokia? And, more importantly, what can they do to turn things around?

Join me as I break down Apple’s biggest AI missteps, how their legendary vertical integration might be their downfall, and what I would do if I were in Tim Cook’s shoes. This is a must-listen if you want to understand the future of Apple and the AI revolution that’s reshaping tech as we know it.

Episode Highlights

(01:20) Apple Intelligence: An ugly and embarrassing disaster—that resulted in a lawsuit.

(04:15) Why we should be worried about Apple: hardware vs. software, vertical integrations, and fast competition.

(09:40) Has Apple lost its mojo? Why Steve Jobs' legacy may be fading.

(11:20) What Apple needs to do to stay in the AI game. 

(15:30) Closing thoughts: is Apple the Nokia or BlackBerry of today?

Links & Resources

🎧 Related episode: What are multi-agent systems?

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀

The world is buzzing about Model Context Protocol (MCP)—but why does it matter so much? In this episode of In The Loop, I break down what MCP is, why it’s being compared to the protocols that shaped the internet, and why it could be the key to unlocking the next wave of AI agent adoption. If you've ever wondered how AI agents can seamlessly connect to real-world applications—without endless custom integrations—MCP might just be the answer.

We’ll dive into the historical parallels between MCP and protocols like HTTP and SMTP, explore the frustrating bottlenecks that have limited AI agent capabilities, and discuss how a standardized framework could lead to an explosion in AI innovation. Whether you're an AI developer, tech enthusiast, or just curious about the future of AI, this episode will give you a clear, no-nonsense breakdown of why MCP could be the game-changer we’ve been waiting for.

Episode Highlights

(1:10) – What are protocols, and why have they been essential in shaping the internet?

(4:30) – Enter MCP: Protocols in the context of AI and LLMs.

(7:55) – The definition: What is MCP for AI agents?

(12:55) – Closing thoughts: The rapid evolution of AI agent capabilities—what happens when MCP is widely adopted?

Links & Resources:

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀

The way we build software is changing—fast. This week, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, made a bold prediction: within six months, AI will write 90% of all code. Meanwhile, “vibe coding” has become one of the hottest topics in AI, even surpassing "prompt engineering" in Google searches. And then there’s Cursor, an AI-powered coding startup that has skyrocketed by 9,900% in just a year, hitting $100 million in revenue. But what does all of this mean for developers? Will traditional programming be replaced, or are we witnessing yet another shift in how software is created?

In this episode, we dive into Amodei’s claim, the rapid rise of vibe coding, and the broader implications for businesses, developers, and the tech industry as a whole. We’ll also explore historical parallels—how each wave of technological automation has transformed rather than eliminated roles—and discuss what the next generation of software development might look like.

Episode Breakdown:

(1:10) – Dario Amodei’s bold claim: AI will write 90% of code in six months. ▶️ Watch the YouTube Short here.

(5:00) – The explosive rise of vibe coding—what it is and why it's trending.

(10:05) – Tim O'Reilly's take on the ever-changing role of programmers.

(14:00) – Historical patterns: How automation always changes the trajectory of jobs. 🎧 Listen to the mentioned podcast episode about Satya Nadella's vision for AGI.

(16:10) – What’s next? The new frontier of programming and problem-solving. ▶️ ⁠Watch the full YouTube video of children's predictions for the future here.⁠

Links & Resources:

📖 Read the written version of this episode on the Mindset AI blog (with all relevant links and resources). Read more here.

If you enjoyed this episode, rate, follow, and share! It helps others stay ahead of the latest AI trends. 🚀