Pure Signal

Pure Signal
  • 5.0 (9)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Businesses are transforming at a breakneck pace. Leaders need to know the latest, but more importantly they need to understand which developments actually matter (and which don’t). Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin have brought their combined expertise to companies ranging from the Fortune 100 to innovative startups. Together they’re digesting the biggest developments in tech, data, AI, and beyond to bring you the strategy-focused insights you need to position your business for an unpredictable future. This is Pure Signal. Brought to you by the experts at Credera.

  1. 2D AGO

    Trust and Transparency in AI-Driven Marketing with Ellen Gates

    What and who will ultimately determine the real value and potential risks that follow the rise of AI? In this episode of Pure Signal, the team dives into why trust has emerged as a defining factor in AI adoption and reaction as organizations move from experimentation to scaling their real-world usage. Joined by special guest and Credera Partner Ellen Gates, hosts Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin unpack the growing gap between what AI systems actually can do and what most customers believe they can do. Bringing in a wealth of marketing and end user expertise, Ellen speaks to what she’s seen out in the field as it relates to personalization, privacy, and governance. You’ll hear why the team believes misaligned signals, opaque models, and poor results can quickly erode confidence in newly deployed AI systems. For leaders navigating AI-driven marketing, customer experience, and enterprise transformation, this episode offers a grounded perspective on how transparency, thoughtful design, and human accountability are becoming essential to building durable trust and sustainable AI strategies. — Quotes “You can get answers very quickly. The thing is, it doesn’t tell you that those answers are correct. The way that you can jump to an inference, and it can be wrong, is something that really matters. Trust takes a long time to build, once you lose that, you don’t really get it back.” – Ellen Gates “Going back to basics, and that’s kind of the theme for us. How you treat people, how you run a company. If you actually are building unique elements of what you do, and you serve your customer right, that still matters.” – Kevin Erickson “We all know this stuff is moving so fast, but even the idea of ‘How do I get my information to show up in a generative model?’ is not wholly dissimilar from how brands have thought about showing up in other platforms. That was really interesting to me. I actually think that could be comforting for a lot of people.” – Jake Carter “When I think about trust and transparency and hearing about how brands are showing up and consumers doing their own research, it seems to me there’s this second level of validation or trust and transparency that can be built in. If I’ve come in and done all this research using these models, I want the opportunity to talk to a person about these things to double check and make sure what I’m hearing is accurate. To me there is an opportunity there for brands to leverage that human connection.” – Ryan Medellin — Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 00:25 Warming up from all the snow 01:50 Introducing Ellen Gates to the show 04:50 Tackling trust and transparency 11:20 The future of data privacy and AI 13:25 Why showing your work is more important than ever 18:30 This third party problem isn't new 22:35 Businesses are still in the driver's seat 27:00 Where advertising fits into this equation 30:55 Control vs. collaboration 37:00 Merging cutting edge tech with seamless CX 39:00 Closing thoughts — Links  Connect with the guest and hosts on LinkedIn! Ellen Gates Kevin Erickson Ryan Medellin Jake Carter Learn more about Credera

    46 min

  2. JAN 28

    2026: Pilots Are Out, MVPs Are In

    What’s powering real progress in 2026? In this episode of Pure Signal, the team highlights the stark shift from AI experimentation to execution, and what that means for leaders navigating complexity, change, and transformation. As Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin reflect on the early signals of the year, they explore how AI strategy is maturing, why MVPs have replaced pilots, and where leadership focus is shifting. From the return to fundamentals to the evolving role of the C-Suite, this conversation highlights how clarity, simplicity, and substance are becoming critical differentiators. For leaders looking to drive meaningful business outcomes, this episode offers a grounded perspective on where to double down and how to move with intent. — Quotes "There are a lot of companies that are getting to the point of, ‘Yes, I care about the MVP, [but] I also want the system that's going to produce the next MVP and the one after that.’ Which, frankly, is where things get real. That's where you start moving from experimentation into actual enterprise momentum.” – Jake Carter "I keep hearing the word ‘simple.’ You have to keep it simple at the beginning and focus on how do we best serve our client? How do we best serve our people? Then build out from there. What does that look like in practice across both of those lanes?" – Ryan Medellin “We're becoming more comfortable operating a bit in that uncertainty. You're going back to the themes that we typically return to: do right by your customers, grow and innovate, care for your employees. Those themes are timeless. And now, if you can throw on this huge technological and process change, it gives you a moment to rethink your business in a way that's really fun."– Kevin Erickson — Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 01:10 Stay safe Texas 05:05 Kicking off 2026 12:35 Where to focus efforts amidst an uncertain market 15:15 Pilots are out, MVPs are in 17:10 Is the C-Suite changing? 22:00 What are the themes of 2026? 29:05 Focus on empowering your team 34:10 Closing thoughts — Links  Connect with the hosts on LinkedIn! Kevin Erickson Ryan Medellin Jake Carter Learn more about Credera

    37 min

  3. JAN 12 · BONUS

    Pure Signal at CES - Event Recap

    Pure Signal podcast hosts Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin are at CES this week bringing you special minisodes that feature insights into the latest tech innovations and key event takeaways. Check back throughout the week for more!

    12 min

  4. JAN 9 · BONUS

    Pure Signal at CES 2026 with Heather Livengood

    Pure Signal podcast hosts Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin are at CES this week bringing you special minisodes that feature insights into the latest tech innovations and key event takeaways. Check back throughout the week for more!

    12 min

  5. JAN 8 · BONUS

    Pure Signal at CES 2026: Day 2

    Pure Signal podcast hosts Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin are at CES this week bringing you special minisodes that feature insights into the latest tech innovations and key event takeaways. Check back throughout the week for more!

    15 min

  6. JAN 7 · BONUS

    Pure Signal at CES 2026: Day 1

    Pure Signal podcast hosts Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin are at CES this week bringing you special minisodes that feature insights into the latest tech innovations and key event takeaways. Check back throughout the week for more!

    15 min

  7. 12/19/2025

    Why 2026 Will Be the Year of Human-AI Collaboration

    What will separate AI winners and losers in 2026? In this episode of Pure Signal, the team looks ahead to a year where human-AI collaboration, organizational redesign, and platform consolidation will define businesses looking to make the most impact. As they prepare for CES in January, Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin reflect on what’s emerging across industries and what leaders need to act on now. From AI’s shift into core processes, to evolving expectations around talent, to the rising premium on authentic, human-centered experiences, this conversation explores where real transformation is taking shape. For leaders charting their next move, this episode offers practical insight into where the real momentum is heading and how to align for it. — Quotes “If you had asked me coming into 2025, ‘Who are the leaders going to be in AI?’ I would've pointed straight to the expected candidates. What I would not have pointed to, would've been DeepSeek, the R1 model out of China. I would not have picked that up. That was surprising.” – Jake Carter “To me what was probably the most surprising was towards the beginning of 2025 it was all focused on tech, data, and getting your house in order. But then in the back half when things started moving really quickly, it's like, ‘Oh wait, we've gotta get our people up to speed. We've gotta get our processes up to speed.”’ – Ryan Medellin “ As someone who comes from a strategy, management consulting perspective, it's just a really fun time to be alive and a fun time to be in a craft and fun time to be able to be thinking about stuff. And you know, I find that we're able to be innovative in ways today that it's just bigger. It's broader. It's not just simply, ‘How do we roll out a new product or think about a certain tangential element.’ It's really around, ‘How do you think about your business in a different way? How do you think about your partner ecosystem in a different way?”’ – Kevin Erickson — Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 01:50 Today's topics 04:10 Kevin's journey with Credera and the podcast 08:45 Jake's perspective and surprises over the past year 11:35 How the world is reacting to AI 15:40 Preparing for the next wave of innovation 22:00 A technology tangent 23:40 Pure Signal at CES 2026 34:00 Closing thoughts — Links  Connect with the hosts on LinkedIn! Kevin Erickson Ryan Medellin Jake Carter Learn more about Credera

    38 min

  8. 12/10/2025

    A Recap from AWS re:Invent 2025 with Phil Lockhart

    The Pure Signal team has been busy this week in Las Vegas at AWS re:Invent 2025, and today they’re back to wrap it all up with a recap and reflection. Kevin Erickson and Ryan Medellin are joined by Credera’s Global Chief Digital Officer, Phil Lockhart to talk about what they loved from the event and how it sets us all up for 2026. This episode unpacks a week of conversations with clients, partners, and AWS leaders from executive roundtables to hallway strategy sessions. The takeaway? Tech is only as transformative as the people, culture, and processes built around it. This episode explores the shift from tools to outcomes: how AI is accelerating process velocity, why use cases matter more than capabilities, and how to grow the next generation of talent in an environment moving faster than ever. Whether you're building cloud strategy, leading AI transformation, or just trying to make better decisions faster, this is a grounded look at how to lead with clarity in an increasingly complex tech landscape. Thanks to everyone who made it out to AWS re:Invent 2025 and for those behind the scenes making it one to remember.  — Quotes "Ten years ago it was on-prem to cloud, it was all about pipes. Now you're sitting there and yes, it's AWS, but it's really around a whole ecosystem of products and tools. It’s no longer just a technical backbone or a tool for developers. You can see a world where this becomes the hub of how you run your business. That shift is huge." – Kevin Erickson "I'm excited that we're actually starting to get value out of AI. There was a lot of experimentation, some of it gimmicky, but now it's becoming more mainstream and part of the process. We're getting back to solving problems, not just doing cool stuff. Useful trumps innovative any day." – Phil Lockhart “Everybody is talking about how tech is gonna take over the human element, and it seems like the whole year has been spent learning about this tech. But towards the end of the year, all these companies are starting to shift and think about the people impact, not from a standpoint of jobs, but how people interact with this technology. The tech is impressive, but what stuck out to me at re:Invent was how much the human side came through in every conversation. That part was fascinating.” – Ryan Medellin — Time Stamps 00:00 Intro 02:35 Welcoming Phil Lockhart to Pure Signal 03:35 Putting together a great event 07:00 Reflecting on AWS re:Invent 14:05 Back to the business 17:10 Changing expectations 19:55 Life beyond the conference 22:50 Recruiting and fostering top talent 29:00 Closing thoughts — Links  Connect with the hosts on LinkedIn! Kevin Erickson Ryan Medellin Phil Lockhart Learn more about Credera

    36 min
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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Businesses are transforming at a breakneck pace. Leaders need to know the latest, but more importantly they need to understand which developments actually matter (and which don’t). Kevin Erickson, Jake Carter, and Ryan Medellin have brought their combined expertise to companies ranging from the Fortune 100 to innovative startups. Together they’re digesting the biggest developments in tech, data, AI, and beyond to bring you the strategy-focused insights you need to position your business for an unpredictable future. This is Pure Signal. Brought to you by the experts at Credera.

Information

  • Creator
    Pure Signal
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Pure Signal
  • Show Website
    Pure Signal