Do Good Work

Keith Jacobs and Grant Baldwin of geniant explain why most AI investments never show up on the P&L, and what the 6% of companies making real money on AI do differently. We get into why they put anthropologists to work before their designers start building with AI, the Olympic level of performance employees will need once the busy work disappears, and why Keith and Grant give every employee equity in the companies they build.

Show Notes

In this episode, I talked with Keith Jacobs, CEO of geniant, and Grant Baldwin, Partner at geniant, about why most AI investments never show up on the P&L, and what the small group of companies making real money on AI actually does differently. Grant walks through a McKinsey study of 1,700 companies where only 6% are making real money on AI, and Keith and Grant make the case that what sets that 6% apart is redesigning how the work gets done instead of automating a broken process, what Keith calls paving the cow path. We get into why geniant puts anthropologists and psychologists to work before its designers start building with AI, the Olympic level of performance employees will need once the busy work disappears, and why leadership has to clear the path from the top or AI initiatives slow down considerably. We also run a thought experiment on the future of software, closing the context gap until every piece of software is custom to the person using it, and talk about who should own your data and why an opt-in model matters.

Chapters:

  • 00:00 The Olympian Worker
  • 02:35 Performing at a Higher Level
  • 06:46 Building the Right Thing
  • 09:51 The 6% Making Real Money
  • 11:53 Paving the Cow Path
  • 15:52 Scared to Admit Using AI
  • 17:54 Air Cover From the Top
  • 20:49 A Behavior First Operating Model
  • 22:46 Staying Optimistic About the Risk
  • 24:45 100 Times More Capable
  • 27:23 Closing the Context Gap
  • 30:48 Who Should Own Your Data
  • 33:19 Every Employee Owns Equity
  • 36:38 Thinking Like a CEO

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What is Do Good Work?

Do Good Work is not a label but a way of living.

It is the constant and diligent effort to achieve a new level of excellence in one’s own life.

It is the hidden inner beauty behind the struggle to achieve excellence.

It is not perfect but imperfect.

It is the effort, discipline and focus that often goes unnoticed.

The goal of this podcast is to highlight that drive.

The guests I have on this show emulate this drive in their own special way. You’ll be able to apply new ideas into your own life by learning from them.

We will also have 1on1 episodes with me where we’ll dive into my own experiences with entrepreneurship and leadership.

Every episode is designed to provide you with ideas that you can apply and grow in excellence in all areas of your life, business and career.

Do Good Work,

Raul