How Smart AI Guardrails Unlock Faster Growth (Without Killing Innovation)

Evan Glaser, Founder & CEO of Alongside AI, joins Just Curious to break down how middle-market companies can actually deploy AI, without blowing up risk, compliance, or trust. Drawing on a decade of Fortune 100 experience, Evan explains why governance isn’t a blocker to AI value creation, but the accelerator most operators are missing.You’ll LearnWhy AI governance is the fastest way to unlock real productivity—not slow it downHow to design practical AI guardrails that let teams innovate safely and move fasterWhere middle-market companies typically underestimate their AI risk exposureHow to turn siloed institutional knowledge into a scalable, AI-powered assetA real-world case study showing how AI reduced onboarding time and unlocked new revenueChapters00:00 Intro01:24 Why middle-market leaders struggle to start with AI02:59 Governance as an accelerator, not a brake04:41 Defining AI guardrails that actually work06:47 Common governance gaps and blind spots09:03 What “good” AI governance looks like in practice14:02 Unlocking trapped institutional knowledge with AI19:59 Case study: AI-powered onboarding and faster ramp times30:23 Turning AI questions into a new advisory revenue stream33:54 The risks of shadow AI36:13 Lessons from regulated industries that apply everywhereLinksWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OXYdxzPgPKgConnect with Evan Glaser: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glaserevan/Explore more interviews: https://www.justcurious.io/experts/evan-glaserProof of Work is the podcast of Pluris, a platform connecting investors and operators with the world's leading applied AI experts. Each episode features the builders, operators, and investors who've actually put AI into production, turning it from buzzword to bottom line through sharp case studies and practical conversations. We explore how AI is used to grow revenue, expand margins, improve operations, and create measurable value inside real businesses.Learn more at checkpluris.comExplore more interviews and connect with experts at https://www.checkpluris.com Subscribe to our newsletter at https://proof-of-work-ai.beehiiv.com/