This year we spoke to guests from across the tech and finance space and one key theme emerged… The AI business landscape requires isolating what actually drives organizational performance; the human element. 

In this episode of Evolving Industry, George Jagodzinski Takes us back to reveal the themes emerging across 2026’s conversations with Wall Street risk strategists, government product managers, robotics investors, and seasoned operational executives. 

Across every industry, the determining factor for success remains decidedly human. 

We’ll break down four foundational pillars for the back half of the year,

Join us as we discuss:

[0:58]: Developing a bulletproof "BS detector" through critical ignoring rather than focusing on tech hype

[3:26]: Creating "super workers", while keeping human judgment firmly in the driver's seat.

[5:50] Re-framing governance from operational friction into strategic headlights and protecting your single greatest asset: proprietary data.

[8:24] Execution, the "ladder of abstraction," and making sure the right action is the easiest path

[11:03] The top “Best Advice I’ve ever received” for 2026

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• Your Key Survival Skill for 2026: Critical Ignoring by Christopher Mims
• Evolving Industry Episode #63 with Denise Hemke
• Evolving IndustryEpisode #65 with Alec Crawford
• Evolving IndustryEpisode #66 with Oliver Mitchell
• Evolving IndustryEpisode #70 with Christopher Mims
• Evolving IndustryEpisode #74 with Kevin Ertell
• The Strategy Trap: Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right by Kevin Ertell
  

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.