What does it really take to build an AI native business right now? In this episode of The AI Guys Podcast, Rich and Lee sit down with Devin Kearns, founder of CustomAI Studio, to unpack the real state of AI agents, why so many early AI products got wiped out fast, and what businesses are still getting wrong as they try to adopt this technology. It is a grounded, honest conversation about where the space is today, and where it is actually headed next.

They dig into the difference between true agents and basic automation, why companies still judge AI more harshly than human employees, and how legacy systems, messy internal data, and weak documentation are slowing adoption down. The conversation also explores AI readiness, the growing importance of capturing unstructured business knowledge, the shift from traditional SaaS thinking to AI native operations, and the rising debate around model pricing, open source models, Chinese AI labs, and token costs as a new form of labor spend.

If you are trying to understand how AI will reshape real businesses, this episode is packed with practical insight and big picture thinking. Let us know your biggest takeaway in the comments, and subscribe for more conversations that make AI easier to understand.

Custom AI Studio (CAIS) is a custom AI consulting and engineering firm that designs, builds, and deploys production AI systems for mid-market and enterprise companies. Unlike off-the-shelf SaaS, every system is built for a single client, who owns all the code, models, and IP outright, with no vendor lock-in and no multi-tenant platform. Since 2024, CAIS has shipped 60+ production deployments.

Website: https://www.customaistudio.io

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAnMAQvxQDJ3Wtl3oMLF5Q

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/custom-ai-studio

Devin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-kearns-15895a42/

*

http://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

http://raiaai.com/

*

All links: http://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: http://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: http://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: http://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

What does it actually take to launch AI successfully inside a business? In this episode of The AI Guys Podcast, Lee Dickson and Rich Swier break down the four essential roles every company needs to move AI projects from idea to execution. If your team has been treating AI like a side project, this conversation shows why that approach usually falls apart.

Lee and Rich unpack the functional expert, the technical agent builder, the integration and IT lead, and the agent power user. They explain how each role contributes to building smarter agents, securing system access, improving adoption, and creating feedback loops that help AI tools get better over time. The episode also explores why so many AI initiatives stall before launch, and how the right team structure can dramatically improve your chances of success.

If you are planning to build AI agents in your business, this episode gives you a practical framework to start with. Subscribe for more conversations that make AI easier to understand and easier to implement.

substack.aiguyspod.com/

raiaai.com/

All links: lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

What happens when AI adoption goes up, but business results do not? In this episode of The AI Guys Podcast, Lee and Rich break down why so many companies are pouring money into AI tools, burning through tokens, and still struggling to connect that spend to real outcomes. They unpack the shift from basic tool adoption to a more agentic, centralized approach that actually gives businesses visibility, control, and a path to ROI.

The conversation centers on four key lenses businesses should use to evaluate AI: dependency, cost, outcome, and scalability. Lee and Rich dig into vendor lock in, the rising reality of token spend as the new cloud bill, the danger of duplicated work across teams, and why centralized AI infrastructure beats letting disconnected tools run wild at the edge of the company. They also explore why faster coding does not automatically mean faster shipping, and why AI usage without accountability can quickly turn into expensive noise.

If your team is trying to become AI native without losing control of cost, workflow, or strategy, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more conversations that make artificial intelligence easy to understand, and check out the links below for more resources.

00:00 Introduction

00:17 The Evolution of AI in Business

00:50 Understanding AI Deployment Lenses

03:53 Control and Functionality in AI Usage

06:51 Dependency and Cost Management in AI

09:49 Navigating AI Vendor Relationships

12:14 Navigating the SaaS Trap

15:12 Control and Integration in AI

18:43 Shared Organizational Intelligence

21:32 Cost Management in AI Deployment

27:13 Scalability and Future-Proofing AI Strategies
*

https://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

https://www.raiaai.com/

*

All links: https://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: https://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: https://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

AI is moving fast, maybe too fast. In this episode of The AI Guys Podcast, Lee and Rich break down why the current AI boom is starting to look a lot like a bubble, and what that means for businesses trying to keep up. From hype-driven valuations to real-world adoption lag, this conversation gets into the growing gap between what AI promises and what companies are actually using in production.

Lee and Rich dig into the bigger market signals shaping the space, including government pressure on frontier models, the strange logic behind massive AI acquisitions, and why pricing, token burn, and overvaluation are becoming impossible to ignore. They also unpack the difference between AI being widely used versus truly adopted, especially inside large organizations with legacy systems, tight budgets, and real operational risk. If your team is experimenting with AI but struggling to measure value, this episode will hit close to home.

If you are trying to separate signal from noise in the AI market, this is the episode for you. Subscribe for more honest conversations on where AI is headed, what businesses should actually pay attention to, and how to avoid getting swept up in the hype.

00:00 Introduction

00:30 Salesforce Acquisitions: Validation or Consolidation?

02:57 SpaceX and the AI Landscape

06:10 Comparative Analysis of AI Acquisitions

10:49 The AI Regulatory Landscape

13:38 The Speed of AI Development

16:45 Business Adaptation to AI

19:40 Valuation and Market Dynamics

22:42 The Reality of AI Adoption

25:38 Measuring AI Impact

28:43 The Future of AI and Consumer Behavior

*

https://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

https://www.raiaai.com/

*

All links: https://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: https://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: https://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

What happens when AI lets you build faster than your business can actually adapt? In this episode of The AI Guys, Lee and Rich unpack the gap between rapid AI-powered development and real-world business readiness. They explore why speed alone does not create ROI, and why launching AI products without the right support systems can create more chaos than value.

The conversation digs into the hidden infrastructure behind successful AI adoption, from documentation and legacy code support to training, ticket handling, and operational alignment. Lee and Rich also break down the mindset shift required to become truly AI-native, including motivating teams to use AI, finding practical use cases tied to real pain points, and embracing the messy learning curve that comes with experimentation. This episode is a sharp look at why businesses need more than fast prototypes, they need a full AI ecosystem.

If you’re thinking about how AI fits into your company, this episode will challenge the way you approach adoption, scale, and transformation. Subscribe for more practical AI conversations, and check out these links for more content from The AI Guys.

https://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

https://www.raiaai.com/

*

All links: https://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: https://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: https://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

In this episode of The AI Guys Podcast, Lee and Rich break down the growing AI agent war and why every software company suddenly wants to own your intelligence layer. They unpack what this shift means for businesses, why the market is getting louder and more confusing, and how leaders should think about control, customization, and long term AI strategy. If you are trying to make sense of where AI fits into your business, this conversation cuts through the hype.

Lee and Rich explore the difference between helpful AI tools and overreaching SaaS platforms, why not every vendor should be trusted with your agentic workforce, and how horizontal software companies may be pushing too far beyond their core value. They also dig into SaaS sprawl, platform lock-in, the importance of systems of record, and why vertically integrated software may be better positioned to support meaningful AI adoption. Along the way, they compare today’s AI boom to the dot com era and explain why the next wave will reward companies that stay focused on fundamentals instead of buzzwords.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and follow The AI Guys for more practical conversations on AI, business, and emerging tech. Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know how your company is thinking about AI agents, vendor strategy, and control.

https://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

https://www.raiaai.com/

*

All links: https://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: https://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: https://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

What does it actually take for a business to be ready for AI agents? In this episode of The AI Guys, Lee and Rich break down why so many companies are excited about AI, yet still struggle to turn that excitement into real business value. They explain why deploying agents is not just about buying tools, but about preparing the business itself to support them.

The conversation covers the five biggest barriers companies face when trying to launch agentic workflows, including messy data, weak knowledge bases, undocumented processes, outdated human-first outputs, poor team alignment, and security concerns. Lee and Rich dig into why AI fails when businesses try to automate chaos, why workflows need to be rebuilt for machine execution, and why leaders need to rethink how teams produce work in an AI-first world. They also explore the mindset shift required to move humans from being the primary doers to becoming reviewers, operators, and decision-makers in the loop.

If your company is serious about becoming AI-native, this episode gives you a practical framework for where to start and what to fix first. Subscribe for more conversations that make artificial intelligence easier to understand and easier to apply in the real world. Subscribe for more practical AI conversations, and check out the links below for more from The AI Guys.

https://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

https://www.raiaai.com/

*

All links: https://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: https://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: https://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

What happens when an AI workflow that works perfectly for one person falls apart at the business level? In this episode of The AI Guys, Lee and Rich break down the real difference between personal AI agents and enterprise AI agents, and why that gap matters more than most companies realize.

They unpack how personal agents can boost individual productivity through tools like email access, browser control, and lightweight automations, while enterprise agents demand shared context, deeper system integrations, structured workflows, governance, and scalability. The conversation also covers why quick AI wins can create false confidence, how to spot the iceberg effect before it hits, and what teams should evaluate before choosing whether to build, buy, or expand an agentic solution.

If you are experimenting with AI inside your company, this episode will help you separate hype from real operational strategy. Subscribe for more practical AI conversations, and check out the links below for more from The AI Guys.

https://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

https://www.raiaai.com/

*

All links: https://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: https://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: https://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

What happens when traditional software development meets AI-first building? In this episode of The AI Guys Podcast, Lee Dickson and Rich Swier break down the AI Development Life Cycle, or AIDLC, and explain why building with AI is changing the speed, structure, and strategy of modern software. From startups moving fast to larger teams stuck in legacy workflows, this conversation explores why the old rules no longer fit the new reality.

Lee and Rich dig into the three lanes of development, traditional coding, AI-assisted coding, and fully AI-first product creation. They talk about why startups may have the biggest advantage, how teams should think about architecture, testing, security, prompting, and validation, and why building fast does not mean skipping discipline. The episode also covers bug tolerance, self-healing systems, the role shift from developer to product architect, and why AI is compressing the entire software lifecycle.

If you’re a founder, product leader, developer, or operator trying to understand where software is headed next, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more conversations that make AI practical and easy to understand, and check out the links below for more from The AI Guys.

https://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

https://www.raiaai.com/

*

All links: https://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: https://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: https://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

As AI tools get easier to use, companies are running into a new problem fast: AI sprawl. In this episode of The AI Guys, Lee and Rich break down what happens when teams start vibe coding apps, launching internal tools, and experimenting with AI without a clear plan for ownership, security, support, or long term ROI.

They dig into the hidden costs behind rapid AI adoption, from token burn and duplicate tools to support headaches, feature creep, and brand risk. The conversation also covers why prototypes can create false confidence, how internal apps quietly turn into full products, and what leaders should do to put guardrails, playbooks, and smarter approval processes in place before the chaos starts.

If your team is moving fast with AI, this is the episode you need to hear before things get messy. Subscribe for more practical AI conversations, and check out the links below for more resources and related content.

https://substack.aiguyspod.com/

*

https://www.raiaai.com/

*

All links: https://lnkd.in/eXDpww6V

Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ee9h9GYB

Youtube: https://lnkd.in/etDvqQ7d

Apple: https://lnkd.in/epYT2GSi

*