Why 95% of AI Projects Fail (From the Guy Who Fixes Them)

The Cybersecurity Career AI Can't Replace: Inside GRC With a Real CISO

GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) is the most slept-on cybersecurity career in tech — and the one AI can't replace.  In this episode, former Mount Sinai CISO and ISACA South Florida president Ryan Barras [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-barras-544a901/] breaks down the GRC career path: how a GRC analyst rises to manager, director, deputy CISO, and CISO, what the day-to-day actually looks like, and why governance, risk, and compliance sits at the top of the security pyramid. We cover how to get into cybersecurity through GRC, the certifications that matter (Security+, CISM, CISA, CISSP), why 70% of the job is communication, and how AI is reshaping third-party risk management, policy development, and AI governance — without killing the human in the loop.   If you're exploring cybersecurity jobs, a GRC career, or how to pivot into security without a traditional coding background, this is your blueprint. ⏱️ IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 Introduction to GRC and Its Importance 03:02 Career Path in GRC 05:47 Day-to-Day Responsibilities of a GRC Analyst 09:10 Skills for Progression in Cybersecurity 12:05 The Role of AI in GRC 15:02 Credentials and Hiring in GRC 18:14 Insights from Experience as CISO 21:07 Challenges in Different Industries 22:28 Identifying Organizational Gaps and Resource Constraints 24:30 AI Governance and Its Challenges 25:49 The Evolving Role of the CISO 28:29 Navigating Vendor Breaches 31:48 Current Job Market Trends in Cybersecurity 36:23 Networking and Mentorship in Security 38:41 Overrated Roles and Future Trends in Security 40:53 Final Tips for Aspiring Security Professionals Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cloud Engineer Salaries: $60/hr vs $400k/year

Cloud engineer salary in 2026 ranges from $60K to over $400K — and this cloud jobs report breaks down exactly why. I analyzed 9 real cloud engineer and cloud architect job descriptions posted in the last 60 days, sorted them into 3 pay tiers, and reverse-engineered the skills that separate a $60K cloud admin from a $400K architect. Spoiler: it comes down to three things — Terraform proficiency, greenfield (build-from-scratch) experience, and communication skills that let you influence direction instead of just executing tickets. This is your Cloud Engineer Roadmap in 2026! In this video you'll learn: ✅ The 3 cloud pay tiers — from $60/hr admin work to $400K total comp ✅ Why Terraform is the non-negotiable entry ticket to Tier 2 ✅ The "greenfield" experience gap that doubles your rate ✅ Azure, AWS & GCP roles that are actually hiring right now ✅ How to move from operating cloud → building cloud → deciding architecture ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 Introduction: The Gap Between Good and Great Pay 1:49 The Universal Baseline: Terraform and Communication 3:01 Tier 1: The Cloud Operator ($60-$75/hr) 4:22 Tier 2: The Infrastructure Builder ($100-$130/hr) 7:03 Tier 3: The Cloud Decider ($180k-$400k) 8:51 Key Patterns for High-Paying Cloud Roles 10:44 Action Plan: How to Move Up the Tiers 🎙️ The Tech Jobber Podcast uncovers hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+.  To get a start in Cloud look at former Guest Broadus Palmer's Level Up In Tech: https://www.skool.com/luit-academy/about?ref=674cbede79de482fa76b88623c0cf89e New episodes ever week! 👇 Which tier are you in right now? Drop it in the comments — I read every single one. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why 95% of AI Projects Fail (From the Guy Who Fixes Them)

Amazon will fund your company's AI project — and almost nobody knows it. In this episode of The Tech Jobber Podcast, Evan Solomon, Founder & CEO of EFS Networks (one of just 65 firms at AWS's highest AI consulting tier, out of 250,000+ partners worldwide), reveals how AWS funds enterprise AI projects — from a $15K–$30K scoping phase to a $100K–$1M+ build — and why 95% of enterprise AI initiatives still fail anyway. Spoiler: it's almost never the model. It's the business.   Evan has spent 22 years building EFS Networks from a small systems integrator into a dual-AI-competency AWS partner that enterprises call when their AI project has already stalled — or caught fire. In this conversation we break down exactly why most AI for business initiatives collapse, the data and governance gaps that kill them, and the specific skills that make you nearly impossible to replace in the AI era.   Chapters: 0:00 Introduction to Evan Solomon and EFS Solutions 1:04 Transitioning from Independent Consultant to Firm Owner 4:45 The Strategy of Phase-Based Project Delivery 6:41 Building Trust with Technical Sales and Experience 8:37 Navigating High-Tier Partnerships with AWS and ServiceNow 13:21 Competing with Global Consulting Giants 15:14 The Three Phases of Corporate AI Adoption 18:01 The Necessity of Data Structure and Business Processes 21:51 ROI Pressures and AI's Impact on the Job Market 24:11 Consumer vs. Enterprise AI Governance 29:34 Advice for Aspiring Consultants and AI Funding Programs   What you'll learn in this episode:  • Why 95% of enterprise AI projects fail — the 3-phase collapse from ungoverned tool sprawl to the board-level "screeching halt" when ROI was never scoped  • The real root cause: no foundational data structure and undocumented business processes ("garbage in, garbage out") • How AWS actually funds AI projects — and how to get in front of that money  • Why AI governance, security, and ROI measurement have to come first, not last • The "license to learn" mindset — why research, puzzle-solving, and intermediate industry knowledge beat narrow technical skills  • Why data science and data governance certifications are the smartest on-ramp into AI right now • What it really takes to start and scale a tech consulting firm — "dating the customer," selling in phases, and why every one of Evan's salespeople is an engineer   🎙️ The Tech Jobber Podcast uncovers hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+, real salary paths, and insider strategy from the people actually doing the hiring. New episodes weekly. 👉 Subscribe so you don't miss the next one: @techjobberpod/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyrxBCde2MK_IAe7lhrNGPQ 🔔 Hit the bell for new episodes every Tuesday.   Connect with Evan Solomon: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evansolomon/ 🌐 EFS Networks: www.efssolutions.comenterprise   Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀https://vidiq.com/techjobberpod [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbk4xRHd5T3FDbEZSTzNUVjJDYjBOX3dJQW9JZ3xBQ3Jtc0tubXBxU1c4UVRUd0cyNmtfQVBXSmVaNkhHSlRiUXBQLWRQbWh6bXJWV3lOY2ctRUY2Z2R0QzRKX0RiVkFCdXZSeDZ2TFpyWHdDTFM2RUJwT3pURWwzcER4OE1ONTJ0dVJYNktobEdMMG0yUUR0Y0dYYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fvidiq.com%2Ftechjobberpod&v=zhdYnupaJcE]    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

6 Levels of IAM Engineer: The Cybersecurity Career Nobody Is Training For

Identity and access management is the cybersecurity specialty nobody's training for — and it's quietly become one of the highest-paying career paths in tech. IAM analyst, IAM engineer, senior IAM engineer, IAM architect, IAM manager, IAM director — every level pays more than the last, and the consulting tier at the top breaks $350/hour. This is the IAM career path most people in cybersecurity never see mapped out.   In this episode of the Tech Jobber Podcast, I walk through every level of the IAM engineer career — from Help Desk and IT support all the way to IAM Director and independent IAM consulting. Real hourly pay, real annual salaries, the certifications that unlock each jump, and the tools you need to know at every stage.   🔑 EVERY LEVEL OF AN IAM ENGINEER CAREER • Level 1 — Help Desk / IT Support — ~$45K ($22–$32/hr) • Level 2 — IAM Analyst — ~$70K ($36–$48/hr) • Level 3 — IAM Engineer — ~$110K ($53–$77/hr) • Level 4 — Senior IAM Engineer / IAM Lead — ~$150K ($72–$96/hr) • Level 5 — IAM Architect — ~$260K ($87–$120/hr) • Level 6 — IAM Manager / Director — ~$400K ($96–$145/hr) • Independent IAM Consulting — $200–$350/hour   🛠️ IAM TOOLS & PLATFORMS COVERED Microsoft Entra (Azure AD), Okta, SailPoint, Ping Identity, CyberArk, BeyondTrust, Active Directory, ServiceNow, SSO, MFA, PAM (Privileged Access Management), IGA (Identity Governance and Administration), Zero Trust architecture, REST APIs, Python, Azure.   📜 IAM CERTIFICATIONS THAT UNLOCK THE NEXT LEVEL CompTIA Security+ • Microsoft SC-300 (Identity & Access Administrator) • Okta Certified Professional • SailPoint IdentityIQ • CyberArk Defender/Sentry • CISSP for IAM architect and IAM director roles.   💡 WHO THIS VIDEO IS FOR Help desk and IT support pros looking for a cybersecurity career path that actually pays. Career changers researching IAM jobs, identity and access management careers, cybersecurity careers, IAM engineer salary, and the highest paying cybersecurity jobs in 2026. Engineers specializing in PAM, IGA, or cloud identity who want to command consulting rates between $200 and $350 per hour.   📈 THE 4-YEAR PLAN FOR IAM ENGINEERS Year 1: Absorb. Year 2: Specialize. Year 3: Monetize. Year 4: Decide / Leverage. By Year 4, $100+/hour is on every exit path.   🎙️ ABOUT THE TECH JOBBER PODCAST The Tech Jobber Podcast uncovers hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+ — IAM, Epic, ServiceNow, SailPoint, Salesforce CPQ, Forward Deployed Engineering, and more. Real salary paths, real frameworks, no fluff.   🔔 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes Tuesdays & Wednesdays — drop a comment with which IAM level you're at right now (1 through 6) and I'll read every single one. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Forward Deployed Engineer Salary: Why Palantir FDEs Make $350K+

Forward Deployed Engineer salary breakdown — why Palantir FDEs make $400K+ and how this hidden tech role became one of the highest-paying career paths in 2026. Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) jobs combine software engineering, client embedding, and product strategy — and almost nobody is training for them.    In this video, I break down the real FDE compensation, the exact career path into Palantir and other companies hiring Forward Deployed Engineers, the skills that separate $200K FDEs from $400K+ FDEs, and why this role is one of the most defensible tech jobs in the AI era.   🎯 What you'll learn: ✅ Forward Deployed Engineer salary by level (entry, senior, staff) ✅ What an FDE actually does day-to-day at Palantir ✅ The 3 skill stacks that make FDEs irreplaceable ✅ How to break in — from SWE, consulting, or solutions engineering ✅ Companies hiring FDEs beyond Palantir (Anduril, OpenAI, Scale, defense tech) ✅ Why FDE comp is climbing even as the broader SWE market cools   🎙️ THE TECH JOBBER PODCAST Hidden tech careers paying $150K–$800K+. Real salary data. Insider hiring strategy. 🔔 Subscribe → [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyrxBCde2MK_IAe7lhrNGPQ] 🎧 Listen on Apple → [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tech-jobber-podcast/id1768554534] 🎧 Listen on Spotify → [https://open.spotify.com/show/2P7eoIjiTsBa2V0zY6VQbe?si=f958ea85459f410e&nd=1&dlsi=ccf87f0b329c4820] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.