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PODCAST

Start At Zero

Abhijit Verekar

Start at Zero is a conversation-first podcast about what it actually takes to modernize technology, build a business from scratch, and make sense of AI without the hype. Episodes range from focused 15-minute interviews with government leaders and tech founders to longer deep dives where I walk through what I"m building in real time - the AI agents, the automation stack, the hard lessons from 20 years of consulting.The tone is direct and honest. I don"t do scripted questions or softball setups. I

business

All Episodes

58:17

Responsible AI Governance: How Public Sector Leaders...

Start At Zero ·

2026/03/26

AI is already inside your organization — whether you’ve approved it or not. In this episode of Untangled, we break down what responsible AI governance actually looks like for local government leaders. This isn’t about buying tools. It’s about building structure before scale. We cover: • Why AI adoption without governance creates hidden risk • The four pillars of readiness: data hygiene, strategy alignment, governance, and management capability • Why traditional monthly IT committees won’t wor...

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29:21

How Long Should Digital Transformation Really Take?

Start At Zero ·

2026/03/12

How long should digital transformation actually take? Nine months? Twelve? Eighteen? Two years? In this episode of Untangled, we break down what truly determines a realistic public sector transformation timeline — and why the answer has far less to do with technology and far more to do with change management, staff capacity, contract negotiations, sunset pressures, and governance. We cover: • Why readiness and selection can move quickly — but implementation cannot • The role of change managem...

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55:31

5 Budget Decisions That Will Shape Local Government...

Start At Zero ·

2026/03/05

In this episode of Untangled, an experienced public-sector consultant walks through the five critical technology areas local governments must prioritize as they prepare 2026–2027 budgets. With AI now overtaking cybersecurity as the top strategic priority among state CIOs, agencies face mounting pressure to modernize—without overspending, reacting impulsively, or locking themselves into the wrong tools. This discussion covers: Why budgeting for AI products is a mistake—and what to fund instead...

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23:40

Your Employees Will Reject This ERP Unless You Do...

Start At Zero ·

2026/02/26

ERP implementations don’t fail because of software. They fail because people were never prepared to change. In this episode of Untangled, we unpack why so many government ERP projects stall after go-live — even when the technology works — and why treating change management as “training and emails” is a costly mistake. Using real public-sector examples and the Prosci ADKAR framework, we break down what effective organizational change management actually looks like, why awareness and desire mat...

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34:16

Government AI Pilots Are Failing — Here’s Why

Start At Zero ·

2026/02/19

Over 90% of enterprise AI pilots never make it to production — and in local government, the consequences go far beyond wasted budgets. In this episode of Untangled, we break down why so many AI initiatives collapse after impressive demos, and what successful agencies do differently. From misaligned problem selection to messy data, vendor-led hype, and the absence of human judgment, this conversation cuts through the noise to explain what AI can actually do today — and where it still falls sho...

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28:47

AI & GovTech: The Race to Do It Right

Start At Zero ·

2026/02/12

AV sits down with Vidhu Shekhar, AI thought leader and Microsoft executive, to explore what it really means to lead in the age of artificial intelligence—from space-based data centers to responsible AI adoption in local government. They unpack the realities behind the "AI race": rapid innovation, vendor hype, overwhelmed agencies, and the hidden costs of chasing shiny tools without a strategy. Learn why the real path to dominance isn't about speed—it's about service delivery, policy alignment...

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26:37

The 90-Day ERP Check: Warning Signs That Predict...

Start At Zero ·

2026/02/05

Most ERP failures don’t come out of nowhere. They announce themselves early — usually within the first 90 days. In this episode of Untangled, we break down why the first three months of an ERP implementation determine the entire trajectory of the project. From vendor staffing substitutions and early scope conflicts to filtered communication and executive disengagement, the same warning signs appear again and again — long before budgets explode and timelines collapse. We walk through real publ...

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34:17

Why Your AI Pilot Will Fail (And What Actually Works...

Start At Zero ·

2026/01/29

Most government AI pilots don’t fail because the technology is bad. They fail because the problem was wrong, the data wasn’t ready, the demo lied, and no one defined what success actually meant. In this Untangled episode, we break down why 90%+ of AI pilots never make it to production — and why flashy demos are often the biggest warning sign. Using real government examples, we explain the difference between AI theater and real operational value, why citizens ask messy questions that demos nev...

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26:03

Why ERP Projects Break Down Long Before Go-Live

Start At Zero ·

2026/01/22

Most ERP projects don’t fail because of bad software or poor intent. They fail quietly, months or years earlier, when decisions are rushed, assumptions go unchallenged, and foundational work is skipped. This Untangled episode breaks down the early warning signs most organizations miss: unclear ownership, unrealistic timelines, unvalidated requirements, underestimating change management, and treating ERP as a technology project instead of an organizational transformation. By the time issues su...

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22:20

Best of Breed vs All-in-One: The ERP Debate That’s...

Start At Zero ·

2026/01/15

The best-of-breed versus all-in-one ERP debate is framed as a choice — but that framing is the problem. Both sides are selling you something, and neither is telling the full truth. In this Untangled conversation, we break down why this isn’t an ideological decision and why agencies that treat it that way lock themselves into a decade of frustration. Best of breed brings depth and specialization — but also integration risk and operational overhead. All-in-one offers simplicity and accountabili...

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12:14

Dirty Data: Why Legacy ERP Migrations Fail Before...

Start At Zero ·

2026/01/08

Your data is dirty. Not because your staff is careless — but because legacy systems were designed to be forgiving. Over decades, phone number fields became notes, dates changed meaning, duplicates piled up, and rules were quietly broken to keep operations moving. The problem is what happens next. Agencies try to lift that data straight into a modern ERP and are shocked when the system rejects records, reports fail, billing breaks, and audits don’t balance. That isn’t a software failure. It’s ...

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9:14

Bulletproof RFPs: How to Turn Procurement From...

Start At Zero ·

2026/01/01

Most government RFPs aren’t vague because teams are careless — they’re vague because people are trying to be “fair.” Broad language feels safe. In reality, it’s exactly what gets agencies sued, protested, and stalled for years. In this episode of Untangled, we break down why subjective RFP language turns procurement into a beauty contest — and how vendors use that ambiguity to file protests that agencies can’t defend. We walk through a real-world permitting system case where a city lost two y...

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11:13

Vaporware Traps: Why Government Keeps Falling for...

Start At Zero ·

2025/12/18

Software demos are built to sell you a story — not to show you what a product can actually do. And in government, that story can cost millions. Vendors walk in with polished screens, AI “prototypes,” and roadmap features presented as if they’re ready to deploy. But once the contract is signed, the reality looks very different. In this episode, we untangle the truth behind vaporware: why governments trust demos too much, how “coming soon” features get used to win deals, and the red flags that ...

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38:12

From Practitioner to CIO: The Leadership Evolution No...

Start At Zero ·

2025/12/11

A lot of government CIOs step into the role carrying years of technical experience — but almost no preparation for the executive expectations that come with it. The shift from practitioner to CIO is bigger than most people realize, and it has very little to do with technology. In this Untangled episode, AV and former CIO Robert Kornovich unpack what the job actually requires: communicating without jargon, framing risk for non-technical leaders, navigating politics, aligning teams, managing ex...

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41:50

Why Avero Isn’t a “Tech Firm” — And What...

Start At Zero ·

2025/12/04

Avero gets labeled a “tech firm” all the time — but that’s exactly what we are not. In this episode, we break down why being vendor-agnostic matters, why we refuse to sell software, and why true modernization has far more to do with vision, culture, governance, and sustainability than technology alone. We revisit what organizations miss when they rush into products, how tech-first decisions undermine outcomes, and why ERP transformations fail when political pressure overrides long-term strate...

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57:13

GovAI Summit Recap: Separating Signal from Noise in...

Start At Zero ·

2025/11/20

The GovAI Coalition Summit brought together government leaders, vendors, and innovators to talk about the future of AI in the public sector. But beneath all the excitement, one truth stood out: not everything labeled “AI” is actually meaningful for government. In this episode of Untangled, we break down the state of GovTech AI after two major conferences, what local governments should be paying attention to, and what they should ignore. From the rise of custom software disguised as AI, to ven...

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38:17

From Paper to Person: Injecting Life into Vendor...

Start At Zero ·

2025/11/13

Procurement shouldn’t feel like a cemetery of PowerPoints. In this episode of Untangled, Megan Seaton (VP of Strategic Growth) and Robert Kornovich (VP of Strategic Initiatives) dive into why so many shortlist vendor interviews fall flat — and how both sides can bring them back to life. They share candid advice from years of experience on both sides of the table: - Why cameras should be on - How to turn presentations into conversations - Why authenticity beats sales talk every time If you’re ...

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40:56

Leveraging Technology to Build Trust in Local...

Start At Zero ·

2025/11/06

Trust is the most valuable currency in local government — and technology can make or break it. In this episode of Untangled, AV shares insights from his ICMA 2025 presentation, “Leveraging Technology to Build Trust in Local Government.” He explores how transparency, accessibility, and communication — not just technology — determine whether citizens stay confident in their government. From reducing friction in service delivery to creating AI readiness and strategic technology plans, AV breaks ...

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36:57

From Phoenix to Policy: Reflections on Housing...

Start At Zero ·

2025/10/23

Innovation, AI, and community engagement were front and center at this year’s NAHRO Conference in Phoenix. In this episode of Untangled, Megan Seaton and Robert Kornovich recap key insights from conversations with housing leaders, commissioners, and technology vendors shaping the future of affordable housing. They discuss how AI, modernization, and workforce challenges are redefining how housing authorities serve their communities. This episode covers: How AI is transforming housing operation...

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29:21

What’s a Realistic Timeline for Public Sector...

Start At Zero ·

2025/10/23

Every agency wants modernization to move faster—but how fast is realistic? In this episode of Untangled, Megan Seaton and Robert Kornovich break down the truth about transformation timelines. From readiness assessments to implementation realities, they discuss how leadership, change management, and vendor coordination define what’s possible. They also unpack why timelines often slip, what clients overlook when setting expectations, and how third-party oversight prevents costly mistakes. Becau...

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118 results

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