The Dark Arts of Software Engineering Team Optimization

In this episode of The Dark Arts of Team Optimization, hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo talk with Adam Paulisick, Chief Executive Officer at Skilly, Distinguished Service Professor, Lead Instructor, and Occasional Founder of Executive Education at Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science. He is also Founder and maad Scientist at maad labs, Advisor of Sales and Product at ViralMoment and Advisor of Sales and Go-To-Market at BlastPoint. Adam brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience in AI, product entrepreneurship, and human-computer interaction. He is currently building Skilly, a company deploying AI agents that onboard and train employees in a human-like manner. In this engaging conversation, Adam dives into the challenges and opportunities that AI brings to teams, the dynamics of acquisitions, and how leaders can thrive in the fast-changing tech landscape.Adam Paulisick is a seasoned entrepreneur, having led three companies through successful acquisitions. With a background in AI, human-computer interaction, and entrepreneurship, Adam has also taught at Carnegie Mellon for over a decade. He’s passionate about blending technology with human interaction, and he's currently building Skilly AI agents that train and onboard employees. Adam's career has intersected various domains, from tech to psychology, providing him with a unique perspective on innovation, leadership, and team dynamics.Expect to Learn:- Insights into the effects of acquisitions on teams and the challenges of integrating human talent with AI. - How AI is reshaping job descriptions and team structures, and how curiosity and soft skills are more valuable than ever. - The importance of interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration in fostering innovation. - The role of AI in augmenting human capabilities and its impact on employee productivity and decision-making. - How personal routine and self-awareness play a crucial role in maintaining balance while navigating the entrepreneurial journey.Episode Breakdown with Timestamps:[00:00:00] – Teaser[00:01:24] – Adam’s experience with acquisitions.[00:05:28] – Distribution vs. differentiation.[00:07:19] – Integrating AI with humans.[00:11:12] – Proactive change management.[00:13:32] – Skilly’s “AI Fridays.”[00:21:05] – Job descriptions evolve with AI.[00:26:12] – Curiosity and soft skills matter.[00:30:08] – Empathy + AI = success.[00:41:02] – Skilly’s AI agents.[00:52:07] – AI enhances customer journeys.[00:52:46] – Adam’s routine and avoiding burnout.[00:58:25] – Conclusion📱 Follow Guest Adam Paulisick:👉LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulisick/ 👉Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulisick/ 👉Company LinkedIn:- Skilly: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skillyai/ - Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science: https://www.linkedin.com/school/cmuscs/ - maad labs: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maad-labs/ - ViralMoment: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viralmoment/ - BlastPoint: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blastpoint/ 👉Company Website: - Skilly: https://www.skillyai.com/ - Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science: https://www.scs.cmu.edu/ - maad labs: https://maadlabs.io/ - ViralMoment: https://viralmoment.com/ - BlastPoint: http://www.blastpoint.com/ 👉Company Instagram:- Skilly: https://www.instagram.com/skillyai/ - Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science: https://www.instagram.com/scsatcmu/ - maad labs: https://www.instagram.com/maadlabs/ - ViralMoment: https://www.instagram.com/getviralmoment/ 📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/ 📱 Follow Holonic:👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

In this episode of The Dark Arts of Team Optimization, hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo talk with Justin Waltrip, Co-founder & Data Scientist at SQUARY AI. Justin has been at the forefront of AI development since 2015, well before the current AI boom took hold. With a deep background in data science and machine learning, he has spent years building AI solutions that tackle complex problems in various industries. Justin focuses on leveraging AI to streamline and enhance the legal industry’s often cumbersome document review processes. Under his leadership, SQUARY AI is developing tools that help law firms and legal departments improve productivity, reduce time spent on manual tasks, and ensure more reliable, efficient outcomes. In this episode, Justin shares his journey, the challenges of building AI for legal tech, and how he and his team are rethinking how technology can support legal professionals.Expect to Learn:- Insights into the challenges of building AI for legal tech- The importance of testing in AI development- How AI tools can reduce tedious work for lawyers while maintaining high standards of accuracy and reliability- The evolving role of AI in the legal field and potential for future automationTimestamps:[00:00] - Teaser[01:13] - Introducing Justin Waltrip[02:15] - AI Engineering Challenges and Overlooked Disciplines[04:05] - Managing AI Unpredictability and Reliability[06:24] - Hallucinations in AI: Can They Be Eliminated?[08:42] - SQUARY AI's Pivot into Legal Tech[14:33] - Engineering for 100% Reliability[17:40] - Pushback from the Legal Industry on Efficiency Tools[23:12] - Managing a Small Startup Team[25:19] - Hiring for Culture and Vision Fit at SQUARY AI [30:58] - Navigating Investor Expectations and Growth[33:48] - Future Plans for SQUARY AI'S Product Development[38:19] - How to Learn More About SQUARY AI📱 Follow Guest Justin Waltrip:👉LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-waltrip-53082b17b/ 👉Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justin.waltrip8408?👉Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squary-ai/ 👉Company Website: https://www.squary.ai/ 👉Company X: https://x.com/CognistX 📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/ 📱 Follow Holonic:👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/