Episode 19 | Seth Wylie: Stop Training, Start Harvesting – The Grassroots AI Revolution

🌐 Most companies are approaching AI adoption backwards. While executives push top-down strategies, the real innovation is happening in the trenches. Seth Wylie reveals why successful AI transformation starts with the people already experimenting - not training programs or executive mandates. **🔑 KEY INSIGHTS:** - Why mandatory AI training kills experimentation before it starts - The one question that gets everyone talking: "What have you been experimenting with this week?" - How to connect grassroots innovation to executive priorities - Why executives are disconnected from AI tools (and what to do about it) - Building "AI Clubs" that people actually want to join - Creating psychological safety for awkward first attempts **⚡ SETH'S APPROACH:** Find the experimenters already on your team → Create space for them to share → Let insights bubble up naturally → Then add training when there's momentum "Companies need to harvest the experimentation that's already happening, not mandate what should be happening." **⏰ TIMESTAMPS:** **01:00** - Meet Seth Wylie: AI Transformation Expert & Acapella Singer **08:32** - Finding Signal: How to Spot AI Innovation in Your Organization **10:45** - **The Magic Question: "What Have You Been Experimenting With This Week?"** **13:18** - Why Executives Are Disconnected from AI Tools **14:11** - What Companies Get Wrong: Training Before Mindset **18:08** - Leadership by Example: When CEOs Use AI for Poetry **19:26** - The Translation Problem: Executive vs. Individual Priorities **20:23** - Emergence Capital's Offsite Success Story **28:36** - Organizational Structure Changes for AI Transformation **32:22** - Creating Value Categories: ROI vs. Engagement vs. Innovation **34:48** - The Spreadsheet Story: How Leaders Kill Innovation and The Power of Executive Curiosity **37:10** - **Seth's Favorite Tool: AI for Self-Knowledge** **40:29** - Amy's Claude Projects Discovery (Life-Changing!) **42:19** - Wrap-up & Gratitude **💼 LEADERSHIP CORNER** **42:47** - Question: Should I Dive Into AI Tools or Let My People Mature First? **43:03** - Meg's Take: Get Context First, Model Curiosity Over Perfection **44:56** - The Learning Paradox: Being Bad at Things Builds Empathy **47:15** - Practical Advice for AI Leadership Balance **53:58** - Final Thanks & Sign-off 🎵 **BONUS:** Seth performs an acapella song live on the show! **📚 RESOURCES:** New York Times: CEOs Adopt AI: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/16/business/ceos-adopt-ai.html Meg's AI Fluency Blog: https://www.megbear.com/post/stop-wasting-time-on-ai-fluency-projects Emergence Capital Offsite: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jakesaper_at-emergence-capitals-investment-team-offsite-activity-7328060051531747328-v3on/ Reshuffle Book: https://amazn.so/Rrd62oi **🔗 CONNECT:** Seth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwylie/ Leadership Questions: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megandamyshow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meg-amy-show #AITransformation #BottomUpInnovation #AIStrategy #OrganizationalChange #Leadership #Innovation #AIAdoption #BusinessTransformation #WorkplaceInnovation #AIExperimentation