In Episode 46, we break down one of the biggest misconceptions about AI right now: it is not reducing work, it is intensifying it. Shailesh Powdwal, VP at Partnerships at Forsys joins the show.

We cover:

• Research showing AI increases pace, scope, and expectations across teams

• Anthropic’s rapid growth and what it signals about the AI market

• HubSpot and Salesforce reshaping partner programs for an AI first world

• McKinsey’s shift toward agents and the rise of new operating models

• How services firms are evolving from time based to outcome based work

• Why hardware companies like SanDisk are benefiting from AI demand

• CEOs stepping in as Chief AI Officers and what that means for org structure

• Why partnerships must shift from influence to owning AI driven revenue

Is AI actually making companies more efficient? Or is it forcing a complete reset in how work gets done and measured?

The data suggests AI is not a cost reduction story. It is a performance escalation across every function.

If you care about AI, partnerships, services, or how companies are restructuring around this shift, this episode breaks down what is really happening.

In Episode 45, Kelly hosts for the first time and friend of the pod Scott Brinker returns to pressure test the SaaS apocalypse thesis.

We cover:

• Anthropic’s new agent capabilities, including legal automation

• The $1T software selloff and Nvidia’s pushback on the collapse narrative

• Microsoft positioning against OpenAI and the rise of AI co opetition

• Anthropic vs OpenAI’s Super Bowl ad battle and Sam Altman’s response

• OpenAI hiring forward deployed engineers and what it signals about product companies moving into services

• KPMG and McKinsey data showing most enterprises are still experimenting with agents

Are agents replacing applications? Or are software companies embedding AI faster than the market expects?

The data suggests we are not seeing the death of SaaS, but a reshuffling of power across models, infrastructure, applications, and services.

If you care about AI, SaaS, hyperscalers, or ecosystem strategy, this episode breaks down what’s signal vs noise.

In this episode, Asher and Kelly zoom out to a bigger question: what happens when AI turns nations, platforms, and enterprises into ecosystem companies?

Starting with the idea that “America is becoming a platform company,” they explore why the biggest AI winners will be the ones with the largest ecosystems, not just the best models.

From Lumen’s transformation from telecom provider to connective AI infrastructure, to the mounting pressure on system integrators to redesign their business models, to Anthropic hiring a revenue owning SI leader at $250K plus OTE, the signals are clear. Adoption beats shipping, and execution beats hype.

They also unpack new data from the 2026 State of Partnership Leaders report, including the hard truth about budget authority, and connect it to Salesforce’s latest State of Sales, where partner selling is now nearly universal.

If platforms win through ecosystems, someone has to own outcomes. This episode explores who that is and why this moment may redefine the Chief Partner Officer role.