PODCAST

The Forward Slash Podcast

Callibrity

Curiosity is in our programming

business management

All Episodes

00:54:49

/AI productivity: effort vs outcomes

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2026/02/04

What happens when AI adoption becomes a leadership challenge, instead of a technology change? This week, James sits down with Nikki Barua, CEO and co-founder of Flipwork, to explore why AI progress often stalls even after real investment. They unpack the growing gap between executive expectations and team readiness, why traditional change management no longer works, and how leaders can rethink identity, value, and work itself in an AI-first era.

01:01:14

/leadership: escaping constant firefighting

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2026/01/28

When everything feels urgent, how do you make progress instead of just reacting?In this episode, we talk with Erkang Zheng, founder of JupiterOne and Ariso, about why so many leaders get stuck in reactive mode and what it takes to build systems that hold up under pressure. They explore proactive leadership, lessons from scaling companies, and how AI and better structure can help teams move from constant firefighting to real momentum.

01:09:20

/AI impact: still waiting

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2026/01/21

If AI is so powerful, why hasn’t it changed your organization the way you expected?In this episode, James sits down with strategy advisor Justin Trombold to unpack why GenAI progress feels slower than promised and why the biggest barriers usually aren’t technical. They explore what organizational readiness really means, how small workflow wins create momentum, when agentic automation is worth the risk, and how to avoid scaling the wrong things too early. A grounded conversation for tech leaders

01:09:50

/AI analytics: the adoption problem

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2026/01/14

Why do AI analytics tools look impressive… but still don’t get used?James Carman talks with Pete Hunt, CEO of Dagster Labs and one of the original engineers behind React, about what it really takes for AI-powered analytics to stick. They unpack why adoption is often the biggest challenge (not accuracy), how bringing analytics into Slack changes decision-making, and what “fast, directionally correct” can unlock when teams trust the path to an answer.

00:55:16

/production-ready AI: the prototype trap

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2026/01/07

If AI can build a prototype in a day, why does shipping still take months?In this episode, James Carman is joined by David Arenas, a senior technology leader across industrial automation, fintech, and global data platforms. Together, they unpack why AI is accelerating development, but also making the gap between demo and production more expensive. They break down what it takes to ship AI-built work at enterprise scale.

00:25:43

/AI on AI: a reality check with chatGPT

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/12/31

What did we actually learn about AI this year?To close out 2025, James interviews an unexpected guest: ChatGPT. They talk honestly about what teams got wrong, what actually improved, and why AI’s biggest wins came from small workflow shifts — not sweeping transformation. They also dig into software engineering, documentation, onboarding, junior engineers, and what tech leaders will need to operationalize in 2026 as AI becomes a system, not a tool.

01:02:15

/human-centered design: fixing broken systems

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/12/17

What if the systems we rely on every day fail because they were never designed for how work actually happens? This week, we sit down with product design leader and founder Sharmeen Aqeel to explore how human-centered design and AI are reshaping how products get built, decisions get made, and businesses move forward. Sharmeen shares how deep user research exposes where traditional processes break down, how simplifying workflows creates speed without sacrificing trust, and why AI is becoming a true

01:09:02

/AI engineering: shipping after sundown

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/12/10

What happens when shipping software is no longer limited by human hours? This week, Max Heckel — CTO of Arizo and creator of the open-source AI orchestrator “Ivan” — breaks down how his team literally codes while they sleep. Max shares how AI coding agents can tackle tasks overnight, open PRs by morning, double development velocity, and redefine what engineering teams focus on. This conversation is a roadmap to what’s coming next.

01:05:11

/transformation: the power of simplicity

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/12/03

What if the real key to transformation isn’t more technology, but more humanity?This week, Nora Osman joins James to explore why simplicity, trust, and human experience are the real engines of organizational change. From zero-to-hero moments to the “red carpet in, red carpet out” philosophy, Nora shows how better leadership—not bigger tech stacks—drives lasting results.

00:53:20

/AI agents: keeping systems (and costs) in check

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/11/19

Can your AI agents survive production AND your budget? In this episode, Yaron Schneider, CTO and co-founder of Diagrid and creator of the foundational open-source tools Dapr and KEDA, joins James to unpack what it takes to build AI agents that are durable, cost-aware and enterprise-ready.

69:42

/AI strategy: back to business basics

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/11/12

In this episode of The Forward Slash, James talks with Michael Pompey, AI Evangelist at Arrow Electronics, about the messy middle between innovation and impact. They discuss lessons from mission-driven organizations, the danger of chasing hype, and why the next evolution of transformation will be adaptive, not architectural. From AI to governance to leadership trust, this conversation is a candid look at what actually drives change in organizations.

67:00

/outcome engineering: the end of feature factories

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/11/05

What if your transformation plan is the thing holding you back?This week, James welcomes Carol Houle, CEO of Inspire Digital Consulting, to dive into the mindset shift from rigid planning to adaptive execution. They explore how to connect OKRs to customer value, replace feature wish lists with measurable outcomes, and finally move from building more to building what matters.

59:46

/AI adoption: from FOMO to fundamentals

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/10/29

Has AI finally met its moment of truth?This week, James sits down with Jim Spignardo, Director of Cloud Strategy & AI Enablement at ProArch, to explore how enterprises are moving from curiosity to competence with AI. They talk data, security, productivity, and the shift from “let’s try AI” to “let’s solve real problems with it.”

62:17

/digital health: rewriting the rules of care

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/10/23

What if AI could hear what doctors can’t?This week James welcomes, Dr. Morris Nguyen, founder and CEO of Predicate, to explore how AI is transforming healthcare by combining patient voice and vital signs to detect critical illness early. Morris shares his journey from critical care physician to tech founder, what it takes to bridge medicine and machine learning, and why empathy may be AI’s most powerful feature. Together, they unpack what it means to build predictive, equitable healthcare

64:28

/engineering ops: orchestrating AI at scale

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/10/09

Is platform engineering the missing link in real AI adoption?This week, we welcome Matan Grady, lead AI PM at Port, to unpack why platform engineering is the control plane for AI adoption. We cover the move from chat UIs to agentic workflows, what it takes to trust AI in production (secrets, permissions, guardrails, human-in-the-loop), and how MCP servers connect agents to calendars, docs, and code. Matan explains why AI evals should measure outcomes—not outputs—and shares a real win: turning a

64:28

/engineering ops: orchestrating AI at scale

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/10/08

64:28

/engineering ops: orchestrating AI at scale

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/10/08

52:30

/product strategy: adapting to AI

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/10/02

Is AI making product design smarter—or just noisier? This week, James talks with Erica Price, product experience leader, about how AI is reshaping UX, product design, and job dynamics. From ADHD hyper-focus as a superpower to the limits of chat interfaces, Erica shares practical insights on using AI as a tool—not a replacement—in the future of design.

66:27

/AI at scale: the hidden costs of the cloud

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/09/24

What does it really take to run AI at scale? In this episode, cloud architect James McShane joins James to explore how Kubernetes became the backbone of modern tech, why the cloud isn’t always the cheapest answer, and what most people miss about keeping AI systems healthy after launch. From GPU scarcity to “vibe coding” gone wrong, this conversation pulls back the curtain on the choices shaping the future of software.

73:40

/dev productivity: beyond vibe coding hype

The Forward Slash Podcast ·

2025/09/17

Is AI making developers more productive... or just making us feel that way? Adam Barrett joins James this week to cut through the vibe coding hype. They dig into why requirements and context still matter, how React became the LLM default, and what zero-dependency coding could mean for security. From junior talent to quantum risks, this episode challenges how we think about building software in the AI era.

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