Evolving Industry

Intevity
  • 5.0 (30)
  • Business
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to Evolving Industry, a no-BS podcast about business leaders who are successfully weaving technology into their company's DNA to forge a better path forward. If you’re looking to make actual progress rather than spinning around in a tornado of buzzwords, you’re in the right place. Host George Jagodzinski is your guide to exploring the best ways to grow and upgrade your business through interviews with some of the world's most recognizable brands.   Join us, because the business environment is ever-changing, and you’re either keeping up or going extinct. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  1. 6d ago

    Intevity Labs: Solving Real-World AI Tooling and Token Management

    Navigating the constant influx of AI products requires moving beyond hype and focusing on practical execution. When engineering teams adopt AI, measuring true velocity and managing runaway token costs become immediate challenges. Steve Adams, Chief Digital Officer, and Jeff Wooden, Chief Architect at Intevity, join the podcast to detail the creation of Intevity Labs: an initiative focused on building open-source tooling to solve real-world development friction. Steve and Jeff break down their latest suite of developer tools, including Sentinel, Trove, Witness, and Curtain, while highlighting the importance of security, OpenTelemetry standards, and prompt compression. They also examine the operational risks of “dark code,” the realities of story pointing in an AI world, and why organizational success relies on keeping human oversight involved in critical systems. Join us as we discuss:   [1:49] How Sentinel safely optimizes context management and reduces token usage by up to 70%[11:18] Comparing AI to pre-AI productivity and finding the time to learn and implement new tools[16:53] The mental load of AI workflows, dark code, and human gatekeeping[23:19] An exciting new OpenTelemetry tool for corralling your AI agent ecosystem and dealing with outagesCheck out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: SentinelCraving more? You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Evolving Industry on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  2. Jul 14

    Existential Uncertainty: Leading Through the Human Side of Agentic AI

    Deploying massive technology investments requires balancing complex infrastructure with an absolute commitment to human talent. Lynda Pak, Global Chief Information Officer at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., joins the podcast to tackle the existential uncertainty surrounding the rapid rise of generative and agentic AI. Drawing from decades of global IT leadership, Lynda contrasts the current wave of technological disruption with the historic ERP rollouts of the past, explaining why modern tools demand completely new approaches to change management. She shares strategies for establishing a “culture of joy” rooted in psychological safety, managing volatile token economics through proper prompt architecture, and overcoming the governance roadblocks that stall enterprise decision-making. Finally, Lynda highlights the power of internal upskilling over a continuous reliance on outside consultants, wrapping up with a sharp piece of career advice on how to replace critical critiques with superior ideas. Join us as we discuss:   [1:26] Human-centered change management rooted in psychological safety and a “culture of joy” [8:27] Agentic AI governance, token economics, and license management [19:00] What really determines the baseline for tech adoption and activation in large orgs Craving more? You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Evolving Industry on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  3. Jun 30

    The Strategy Trap: Translating Boardroom Vision to Shop Floor Reality

    To truly bridge the gap between leadership and results, a business leader must become a student of execution. Kevin Ertell, author of The Strategy Trap and founder of Mistere Advisory, joins the podcast to share insights from over 60 operator interviews and a thousand years of combined experience. Beginning his career as an in-store clerk at Tower Records, Kevin climbed the corporate ladder to lead billions of dollars in retail operations at Nike, Borders, and Sur La Table. He details why brilliant boardroom strategies fail when detached from the shop floor, illustrating how language can shift along the “ladder of abstraction.” Kevin reviews his “6 Cs” system for execution and outlines how to overcome the psychological “forgetting curve” through social incentives and relentless, multimodal communication. Join us as we discuss:   [1:35] How Kevin’s experience on the sales floor laid the foundation for his success in the C-suite [6:48] Why leaders need to wear their company’s vision on their sleeves [15:11] Lessons learned from interviewing dozens of strategic thinkers [22:47] Staying motivated once a new strategy’s honeymoon period wears off Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: The Strategy Trap:  Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right Craving more? You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Evolving Industry on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  4. Jun 16

    How The New York Times Fixed Its Tech Fragmentation Problem

    To modernize a legacy publisher, engineering leaders must confront structural tech fragmentation and build cross-functional trust. Brian Hamman, Senior VP of Product Engineering, and Jason Sobel, Chief Technology Officer at The New York Times, join the podcast to detail their journey scaling a world-class digital operation. Moving past old identity crises of whether they are a tech company, the duo explains how they match engineering excellence to world-class journalism. They discuss the rollout of their Delivery Engineering Shared Platform (DVSP), leveraging objective data to eliminate undifferentiated heavy lifting and give leverage back to developers. Brian offers perspective on navigating Conway's Law in publishing workflows, while Jason highlights the strategic use of AI tools like Claude and Cursor to empower multidisciplinary teams. Join us as we discuss:   [2:38] Tech strategy perspectives from the old and new guard [12:35] Finding an engineering team’s identity at a world-renowned newspaper [17:51] Timing innovation in a siloed organization [27:30] The Times’ internal approach to AI tools and what problems they’re trying to solve Craving more? You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Evolving Industry on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  5. Jun 2

    Liquor to Lips: Why Execution Beats Passion in the World of Craft Spirits

    In this episode, we sit down with Co-founder and Partner at99 Proof Partners, to discuss the transition from the corporate world to the high-stakes craftsmanship of the spirits industry. Mike breaks down the romance of starting a distillery and why many founders struggle to divorce their passion from the hard reality of profitability. We explore the draconian state of spirits technology, where clipboards still rule, and the massive opportunities for tech-minded entrepreneurs to solve logistics and data lags. Mike also shares his holistic capital philosophy and why a mildly successful regional brand can often be more rewarding than chasing a billion-dollar George Clooney exit. Join us as we discuss:   [1:24] Why pivoting from corporate to spirits isn’t as simple as entrepreneurs may think [8:30] What the success trajectory looks like for a passionate distiller [14:19] The drastic difference in strategic timelines between the spirit and software spaces Craving more? You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Evolving Industry on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  6. May 19

    The Buy Now, Pay Later Crisis: Solving Food Insecurity in 2026

    In this episode, we sit down with Andy Ellwood, Founder and CEO of Stretch, to discuss his decade-long obsession with bringing transparency to the grocery industry. Andy shares how the failure of his first company, Basket, actually laid the structural foundation for what AI is finally allowing him to build today. We dive into the information asymmetry that keeps shoppers in the dark and explore the heartbreaking reality of modern food insecurity, where 17% of surveyed parents are skipping meals to feed their children. Andy explains how Stretch is using AI to map 550,000 unique SKUs across competing retailers to save the average family up to $250 a month. Join us as we discuss:   [1:29] The systemic issue that’s plagued grocery consumers since the Romans [9:27] Why the price of groceries never came back down after the pandemic [21:10] How Stretch is turning grocers’ information asymmetry on its head Craving more? You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Evolving Industry on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  7. May 5

    Critical Ignoring: A Conversation With Christopher Mims on the AI Tech Bubble

    In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Mims, Technology Columnist for The Wall Street Journal, to discuss how to maintain a sharp “BS detector” in an era of unprecedented tech hype. Drawing on his background in neuroscience and over a decade of reporting, Chris explains why “critical ignoring” is the most important skill for 2026. We explore the punctuated equilibrium of tech disruption, why humanoid robotics might be the biggest bubble in history, and how to treat AI as a neurotypical intern rather than an infallible oracle. Chris also shares the humbling lessons learned from publicly holding himself accountable for a decade of predictions. Join us as we discuss:   [1:34] Why “critical ignoring” is essential to navigating the AI noise [14:00] Which industries are still stuck in the “trough of disillusionment” with AI [22:04] Balancing the AI skill gap between the experts and the up-and-comers Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Your Key Survival Skill for 2026: Critical Ignoringby Christopher Mims How to AIby Christopher Mims The Confidence Gameby Maria Konnikova Craving more? You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Evolving Industry on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  8. Apr 21

    Unintended Consequences: Sifting Fact from Fiction in the AI Retail Bubble

    In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Cohen, Chief Business Development Officer at Skai, to peel back the layers of the world’s most dominant retail engine: Amazon. Jeff shares the story of how he manifested his dream role as an Amazon Tech Evangelist and why the “belly of the beast” isn't nearly as calculated as outsiders believe. We dive into the shift from simple search-term attribution to the complex, non-linear shopper journey that defines modern omnichannel commerce. Jeff also shares his “25/50/25” time management strategy and why he’s currently coaching his team to use AI as a parallel engine for data validation. Join us as we discuss:   [1:10] Amazon’s unique hiring guidelines and misconceptions around their operations [12:18] The market inflection in performance advertising that changed everything [19:00] Why AI needs to be ingrained in the culture of every mid-market brand Craving more? You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Evolving Industry on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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5
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Welcome to Evolving Industry, a no-BS podcast about business leaders who are successfully weaving technology into their company's DNA to forge a better path forward. If you’re looking to make actual progress rather than spinning around in a tornado of buzzwords, you’re in the right place. Host George Jagodzinski is your guide to exploring the best ways to grow and upgrade your business through interviews with some of the world's most recognizable brands.   Join us, because the business environment is ever-changing, and you’re either keeping up or going extinct. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Intevity
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    79
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Evolving Industry