Thriving in a Generative AI World: 5 Big Ideas from My Podcast Chats

Hello to you all,

It has been a while since I got this newsletter out. So much to do. And so little time 😉.

Over the past few months, I've hosted five standout AI leaders on the Scouting for Growth podcast. These aren't theorists—they're building AI today.

Their insights? Bold, practical, and vital for insurance executives, tech leaders, and transformation strategists.

So I felt it was a good time to unpack what they told me over the past 5 weeks—and what it means for those leading change.

1. Agentic AI Will Be Your Smartest New Colleague

Olha Pylypchuk and Ivan Pylypchuk from SoftBlues see a fast-arriving future where agentic AI—autonomous, multi-step decision-makers—transform work.

These digital colleagues will handle domain-specific tasks like marketing, sales or customer engagement with little oversight.

But they warn: enterprise adoption will lag unless leaders address trust and explainability.

Their advice? Start with domain-specific, high-impact use cases. Measure ROI fast. Build trust with transparency. And don't forget: agentic AI won't replace your teams—it will free them to focus on creativity, strategy, and empathy.

2. Want ROI from AI? Rethink the Business Model

Areiel Wolanow from Finserv Experts argues that bolting AI onto legacy systems won't cut it. Instead, he urges leaders to build new AI-native business units. These units operate with agility, experimentation, and customer-first thinking.

Crucially, Areiel champions the rise of "AI natives”—younger professionals who intuitively use AI to innovate, problem-solve, and challenge assumptions. Empower them. Let them lead.

But pair innovation with guardrails: human accountability must remain central. AI supports decisions, not replaces them.

Areiel’s sharpest warning? Don’t fall for hype. Validate demand, test real-world performance, and deliver clear value before scaling. And as AI adoption grows, expect “shadow IT” risks—rogue apps, unauthorized tools—unless governance keeps pace.

3. AI Transformation as a Competitive Advantage

Lisa Bechtold, Ph.D., LL.M. from Zurich Insurance frames governance not as compliance but as a transformational value driver. With the EU AI Act and similar global frameworks emerging, she says every organization must embed governance from the start—transparency, explainability, fairness, and ongoing monitoring.

Why? Because today’s AI isn’t static. As AI systems interact, adapt, and evolve, traditional oversight no longer suffices. Lisa calls for innovation in governance as much as in technology. Think AI audits, continuous monitoring, and new accountability structures.

Her view is clear: ethical AI isn't a check-the-box activity—it's part of building trust with your customers, regulators, and teams. The companies that get ahead of this will lead.

4. Underwriting Will Never Be the Same

Alex Schmelkin founder of Sixfold is applying generative AI to transform underwriting. He calls it the “underwriting brain”—an assistant that processes massive data volumes and delivers insights in seconds.

The result? A 30–40% reduction in operating costs and 50%+ productivity gains for underwriters.

Alex predicts that 90% of insurers will use AI this year—and 25% will run agentic pilots. But he acknowledges the cultural resistance. Underwriters won’t trust black-box systems. So, he invests in explainability, transparency, and data privacy by design.

His advice to insurance leaders: reimagine workflows, augment your teams, and make AI an enabler—not a threat. Also, don't overlook sustainability. Training large models has a carbon footprint. Efficiency matters.

5. Democratizing Innovation with No-Code and Vibe Coding

Sara Simeone , well-known for her web3 expertise, launched NoCodeLab.ai very recently. Sara is on a mission to open the AI (and no-code) world to everyone with a business brain. Today, just 0.5% of the global population can code.

Her goal: raise that to 5% using no-code AI and "vibe coding"—building software through natural language.

She sees a future where solo founders use AI to build $1–5M businesses with no tech team. The barriers to entrepreneurship are falling. But this democratization must come with responsibility.

She agrees strongly as she evaluates 100s of vibe coding tools: Security, ethics, and compliance need to be built into every tool.

Sara also stresses the importance of empowering underrepresented groups. With accessible tools and inclusive platforms, a new generation of founders—especially women and minorities—can innovate freely.

You can discover more about "Vibe Coding" in this article I wrote to ensure that non-technical entrepreneurs do not miss out on this opportunity to control the design and execution of their future products.

And my (last week only!) catch-up discussion with Sara...

The Common Thread? AI is Here to Augment, Not Replace

Across all five conversations, one truth emerged: AI amplifies human potential. It helps us focus on high-value tasks while automating the repetitive. It unlocks innovation but demands new talent models, strong governance, and ethical oversight.

Executives must embrace both the opportunity and the responsibility.

That means:

• Empowering AI natives to lead experimentation.
• Creating AI-native business units that unlock new value.
• Embedding governance into design, not postmortems.
• Building trust through transparency and explainability.
• Investing in reskilling and upskilling, across all levels.

And yes, this includes thinking about environmental and social impacts too. AI is a systems-level shift—not just a shiny tool.

Final Thought: The Time to Act is Now

Generative and agentic AI are already current realities for many of us. And while the hype is loud, the stakes are real.

The best leaders won't wait for perfect clarity. They'll run experiments, launch small pilots, and learn fast. They'll center trust, governance, and inclusion—not just efficiency.

So here's my challenge to you: Are you redesigning your business with AI at the core—or watching from the sidelines as others leap ahead?

Drop your thoughts below. 👇🏼

I’d love to hear how you're navigating this generative AI era. 🚀

Happy GenAI tranformation.

And as always… stay curious and keep innovating!

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