The Improving Edge

Short on time or behind on episodes? This 25-minute best-of pulls 1 to 3 minute highlights from episodes of The Improving Edge this season. Hear the sharpest ideas, the strongest debates, and the takeaways that stuck, all in one listen. It’s the fastest way to catch up, and the best place to start if you’re new to the show.

Host David O’Hara talks with Ryan Suchala, Chief Banking Officer of First United Bank, about reshaping banking with AI. Ryan explains how the bank’s 70 locations across Texas and Oklahoma are using AI to cut rework, speed up customer solutions, and sharpen local market insights. He describes how automating manual data entry lets bankers spend more time listening and advising. The conversation also covers employee concerns about AI, transparent change management, and building AI skills through training. Ryan shares how the bank works with regulators, recruits community leaders as bankers, and partners with Improving. He closes with advice for banking leaders: solve a real problem, tie AI to strategy, and explain the “why” to your team.

In this episode, Michael Slater, VP of Technology at Improving, explores how AI is transforming enterprise data pipelines and accelerating value delivery. Learn why data quality is the competitive advantage in an AI-driven world. Explore how metadata enables AI agents to prioritize the right information for smarter decisions. Understand the evolving role of data engineers as they shift from manual transformation to strategic quality assurance. From food science to cross-functional systems, see how real organizations are automating complex data workflows. Find out why giving AI the right contextual data is the difference between mediocre results and measurable ROI. This conversation reveals the architecture decisions that separate AI implementations that deliver results from those that don't.

When AI makes you faster, it's easy to stop paying attention. Don McGreal, author of The Professional Product Owner, breaks down why teams shipping code and strategies they don't understand is becoming the biggest hidden risk in AI-enabled development. Learn why one executive's 14-page AI-generated strategic plan tanked (full of holes and fake details), how ownership gets lost in the pursuit of velocity, and why product managers are more critical than ever. Don covers what AI is actually good at (synthesis, naming, wordsmithing) and where humans can't surrender: strategy, judgment, and accountability. For product managers and decision-makers who need to move fast without moving blind.

In this episode, David sits down with Kapil Dabi from Google to talk about why agentic commerce is about to blow up the retail game. Kapil breaks down how AI shopping assistants can cut your customer's shopping journey from 10 clicks down to just 3 or 4, which translates to way more conversions. Whether you're selling clothes, groceries, or jewelry, the conversation covers what you actually need to do right now to get ready for this shift, including getting your product data in shape and building experiences on your own website first.

Claudio Lassala challenges the "human in the loop" approach to AI, arguing that clarity of intent, rather than code output, is the real productivity multiplier. Learn how to shift your leadership mindset to leverage AI as a partner in human problem-solving, using storytelling and clear vision to drive meaningful results.

Most organizations want AI but aren't ready for it. The barrier for good AI solutions is often data quality and hidden business processes that executives don't even know exist. Finance leaders must focus on clean data, process transparency, and change management before pursuing AI implementation, which will unlock real value by eliminating manual work and freeing teams for strategic priorities. In this episode, Sean Antonello reveals how one utility company discovered 22 separate Excel models feeding their reporting system, creating massive risk and inefficiency.

Nearshore delivery is shifting from labor arbitrage to competitive advantage through AI. David Sandoval, President of Improving Mexico, shares how distributed teams are achieving 10x productivity gains by pairing strong engineering frameworks with AI tools. He reveals why culture and alignment matter more than automation alone. Discover how one pharma client reduced ticket resolution time from 40 minutes to 4 minutes using an AI agent built by their nearshore team.

In this episode, Nick Larson, VP of Technology at Improving, shares why AI-ready data is essential for enterprise competitiveness, what it really means in practice, and how organizations can build the modern data platforms needed to support AI agents. He explains why data quality and accessibility have become the true competitive differentiator, why governance and real-time streaming matter, and what happens when companies try to shortcut the foundational work. Having an AI strategy is about preparing your data foundation first.

In this episode, Devlin Liles, CCO at Improving, shares why most AI initiatives fail, how organizations can identify high-value opportunities, and what it takes to move from experimentation to measurable business outcomes. Learn why a people-first approach, strong change management, and a focus on ROI are critical for long-term AI success. Having an AI strategy is about solving the right business problems.

In this episode, David O'Hara and Robyn Fuentes (President at Improving Houston) discuss the purpose-driven nature of Agentic AI, and they explain how these systems move beyond simple logic to solve complex tasks using contextual information. Their discussion revolves around coordinating AI agents to complete complex tasks (and the benefits and challenges of doing so). Robyn also discusses the critical need for human connection in an increasingly automated world. She and David explore the balance between using AI agents and maintaining personal oversight. Their conversation offers the audience a clear, high-level look at modern AI capabilities.

Ever wondered where AI initially started? From Alan Turning to Dartmouth conferences, Scott Poulin and David O'Hara discuss the evolution of AI, the people involved in it's conception, where initial talks failed, and how it has progressed. Their discussion ends on where AI is today.

In this episode, Blake McMillan, VP of Training and Consulting, and David dive into how you can focus on talent and simultaneously implement AI, growing with intention, and how AI can encourage growth in other, more human areas.

Join David O'Hara and guest, Stephen Johnson - Executive at Improving, for this in depth conversation about why it's important for organizations to develop their own principles regarding AI risk, how to determine whether AI tools or an AI platform is better for the needs of an organization, the growth of agentic AI, and our responsibilities surrounding AI use. Thanks for tuning in!

In this episode, David sits down with Improving's Director of Delivery, John Ruzick, to discuss the AI-driven business model. They will explore what the AI-driven business model looks like, the foundations of AI-driven business models, and will offer practical advice for business just starting their AI journey. Thanks for tuning in!

Welcome to the first episode of The Improving Edge! In this episode, David (President of Improving, Dallas) and Kevin (Technical Director) dive into what Agentic AI is, how it differs from traditional LLMs, why it’s gaining momentum, and how organizations can leverage it for a competitive edge.