When mid-market IT leaders call about AI, most ask the wrong question. Instead of “What problem are we solving?” they jump straight to “Which LLM should we use?” — a mindset that helps explain why 95% of AI pilots fail to deliver measurable business returns.

In this episode, two of Softchoice’s leading AI experts — Sean Larkin, AI Principal Architect, and Ron Espinosa, Director, Google Cloud Category — break down why technology-first thinking derails AI initiatives before they start. From market validation to crawl-walk-run design, they reveal how organizations can escape the hype cycle and build AI solutions that actually work.

Key takeaways:

• Why “What LLM should we use?” is the wrong first question
• How market validation prevents multimillion-dollar failures
• Why data hygiene is still the most overlooked risk
• What crawl-walk-run actually means in AI deployments
• How executive alignment eliminates costly blind spots between IT and business teams

Guests

• Sean Larkin, AI Principal Architect, Softchoice
• Ron Espinosa, Director, Google Cloud Category, Softchoice

This episode is packed with field stories, hard truths, and practical frameworks mid-market organizations can apply immediately.

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Take the first step in your AI journey

Book your Executive Alignment Session today: https://www.softchoice.com/solutions/ai-and-data/executive-alignment-session

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

937 applications. 42 interviews. 80 days. That's what it took one experienced data scientist to land a job in 2025—and he's one of the lucky ones.

In this episode of The Catalyst, we follow two tech professionals through what they call "the worst job market ever." Emily, a software developer with 10 years of experience and a degree from University of Waterloo's prestigious computer science program, gets laid off on a Tuesday and was interviewing the next day. Santiago, a data scientist and former manager at Deloitte, launches what he calls a "denial of service attack" on the job market—bombarding it with nearly a thousand applications while tracking every rejection in a dashboard styled like Super Mario.

Both land jobs. Both consider themselves fortunate. And both say the system is fundamentally broken.

Meanwhile, over 700 tech workers are being laid off every day while companies claim they can't find talent. Something doesn't add up. Through their stories and expert analysis from Bobby Burns, Vice President of R&D at Indeed, we uncover what's really happening: applicant tracking systems filtering out 75% of qualified candidates, AI conducting first-round interviews before humans ever get involved, and a catch-22 nobody can solve—where will senior developers come from in 2030 if we're not hiring junior developers in 2025?

Key Takeaways:

• Why the "talent shortage" exists alongside mass tech layoffs
• How applicant tracking systems reject 75% of resumes due to formatting issues
• The psychological toll of sending hundreds of applications into the void
• What AI tools might (and might not) fix about hiring and fighting bias
• Why even graduates from top programs can't get entry-level roles

Read about Emily's experience on her Medium: https://emilyxiong.medium.com/my-experience-of-finding-a-tech-job-in-2025-6830297c5197

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This episode is brought to you by Softchoice, a World Wide Technology company. We work with mid-market IT leaders on their biggest challenges, including how to build and retain great teams in a market that makes it harder than ever. Visit softchoice.com to learn more.

Listen now at: softchoice.com/podcast

#TechJobs #Hiring #ITCareers #JobSearch #TechLayoffs #TheCatalyst #Softchoice

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

Every night, IT professionals across the country go home and cry. They work until 10PM unpaid. They become "the guy" their entire organization depends on. They stay in toxic jobs because they feel guilty, or because people are counting on them, or because they simply can't imagine leaving.

In this episode of The Catalyst by Softchoice, we follow two IT professionals through their burnout journeys. Sean stayed at a behavioral health nonprofit for years, supporting 1500 users with just two techs and management that thought IT "just helps people log in." He rebuilt the entire infrastructure while crying himself to sleep at night, driven by mission and what clinical psychologist Dr. Rick Ginsberg calls "responsibility handcuffs."

John worked at a Manhattan company where he felt so grateful for his salary that he stayed through years of abuse and lies. He'd sit at his desk until 9 or 10PM—not because of emergencies, but because he had no energy left to stand up.

One stayed and rebuilt his broken department into a world-class operation. The other escaped to his dream job doing Linux work. Both had to heal from trauma. And according to Business Insider, 57% of IT workers report the same burnout they experienced.

Through their stories and expert analysis from Dr. Rick Ginsberg, we explore why burnout has become epidemic in IT, what the warning signs are, and—most importantly—what can actually be done about it.

Key Takeaways:

• Why IT professionals are particularly vulnerable to "responsibility handcuffs"
• The difference between staying to rebuild and knowing when to leave
• How gratitude can become a trap that keeps you in toxic environments
• What managers need to do differently to prevent team burnout
• Why 76% of IT workers say job stress is getting worse every year

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This episode is brought to you by Softchoice Cloud Lifecycle Services Plus for Microsoft Azure. Get control of your Azure subscriptions, optimize your cloud spend, and access the technical support you actually need when you need it. 

Visit softchoice.com/azurecls to learn more.

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

What if the best employee AI adoption strategy is one most companies refuse to try?

While business leaders rush to mandate AI from the top down, Softchoice discovered something counterintuitive: the most successful transformations happen when you let people experiment on their own terms. (Safely!)

This episode takes you inside Softchoice's organic approach to AI adoption—from a VP who started experimenting with AI nine months before ChatGPT launched, to an engineering team that went from skepticism to shipping code in a single prompt, to a solutions architect who hit 300% of plan by letting AI handle his meeting notes.

You'll learn:

• Why psychological safety beats corporate mandates for technology adoption
• How to balance experimentation with responsible guardrails
• The "crawl, walk, run" framework that scales innovation
• Why one person with AI can match an entire marketing department's output

Featuring:

• Craig McQueen, VP of AI Solutions, Softchoice
• Andrew Campbell, Engineering Manager – App Development & AI Solutions, Softchoice
• Geoffrey Whalley, Solutions Architect, Softchoice
• Danielle Ryterband, Associate General Counsel & Privacy Officer, Softchoice

This isn't just an AI story. It's a framework for how change actually happens in organizations—and how IT leaders can apply it to any transformative technology.

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This episode is brought to you by Arctic Wolf Incident Response.

When a cyber attack hits, Arctic Wolf's insurance-approved team gets you back to business fast with 24/7 containment, digital forensics, and full business restoration.

Learn more at softchoice.com/arcticwolf

#ArtificialIntelligence #ITLeadership #DigitalTransformation #ChangeManagement #Softchoice #MidMarketIT #AIAdoption

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

For six years, The Catalyst brought you conversations with IT leaders solving hard problems. But we kept hearing stories that couldn't fit into a single interview—stories that needed multiple voices, conflicting perspectives, the messy truth of what it's really like out there.

Season 7 changes everything. We're making audio documentaries—think This American Life for the IT team. Each episode weaves together real experiences: the burnout nobody admits to, the worst tech job market ever, AI projects burning millions because someone asked the wrong question.

This is what happens when you stop treating IT stories like case studies and start treating them like what they are: human stories about navigating impossible choices.

Small Teams, Big Dreams. A new season starts now.

Stream all episodes and get additional resources at softchoice.com/podcast.

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The Catalyst is brought to you by Softchoice, a World Wide Technology company. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

The rise of AI isn’t just about smarter machines—it’s about reshaping the way we work, create, and innovate. 

In the season finale of The Catalyst by Softchoice, Heather Haskin sits down with Gil Press, senior contributor at Forbes, to trace the modern history of AI. 

From the early breakthroughs in deep learning to the rise of generative AI, Press explores the key moments that shaped the AI industry and where the technology is headed next. 

Featuring: Gil Press, Senior Contributor at Forbes 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

The future of tech isn’t just about speed and innovation—it’s about who gets a seat at the table. 

In this episode of The Catalyst by Softchoice, Rachel Skaff, AWS Managing Director of America’s Channel and Partner Sales, joins Heather Haskin to explore how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are driving innovation in tech.  

From her unconventional path into the industry to leading DEI initiatives at Amazon, Skaff shares insights on fostering inclusivity and ensuring AI development remains fair and unbiased.  

This episode is brought to you by AWS. Transform your document workflows with AWS Document AI Services. Visit softchoice.com/awsai today!  

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

The future of business is a conversation. In this episode of The Catalyst by Softchoice, Heather Haskin and Craig McQueen, Vice President of AI Solutions at Softchoice, dive into how conversational AI is reshaping industries and redefining success.  

From smarter customer support to groundbreaking innovations, discover why this technology is more than just talk—it’s a game-changer. With real-world examples and insights into overcoming challenges, this episode is your ultimate guide to navigating the AI revolution.  

Featuring: Craig McQueen, Softchoice Vice President of AI Solutions 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

What if your company could leverage AI to not only increase productivity but also improve your mental well-being? What if the secret to transforming your workplace culture and achieving extraordinary results lay in the smallest, most intentional changes? 

In this episode of The Catalyst by Softchoice, host Heather Haskin sits down with 1-Degree/Shift founders Suchitra Davies-Webb and Nick Foster to explore how small, intentional shifts in leadership can drive transformative change in workplace culture.  

From fostering conscious accountability to utilizing innovative AI tools, discover how their unique approach helps organizations achieve inclusivity, well-being, and high performance. Listen in to learn how small changes can lead to extraordinary results. 

Featuring: 1-Degree/Shift co-founders Suchitra Davies-Webb and Nick Foster 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.

A lot of charities are just trying to keep the lights on. They don’t have resources for tech infrastructure and training. That’s where Softchoice’s Charity Accelerator Program comes in.  

In this episode of The Catalyst by Softchoice, host Heather Haskin dives into the transformative power of technology for small charities with Joseph Byer and Jill Crowley, co-chairs of Softchoice’s Charity Accelerator Program (CAP). 

Discover how this groundbreaking initiative helps nonprofits overcome technological challenges, from outdated systems to limited budgets, by offering tailored support and mentorship. 

Featuring: Jill Crowley and Joseph Byer, co-chairs of Softchoice’s Charity Accelerator Program 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.