Paul Bates on almost 90% AI is Automation | Developers still matter | Cutting Cloud Costs by 90%?

$25M lost per year & the vendor contract gap with VendorTel CEO Steen Blicher

Most companies think their vendor contracts are under control. They're not. Steen Steensen Blicher, CEO and co-founder of VendorTel, breaks down the silent financial leak hiding in plain sight. 2 to 5% of total supplier spend lost every year because nobody connects contract terms to real transaction data. In this episode: why a signed contract is not the same as earned money, how AI unlocks vendor management without replacing the human decisions that matter, and the one 30-minute audit every procurement team should run this week.

Paul Bates on almost 90% AI is Automation | Developers still matter | Cutting Cloud Costs by 90%?

How much of the AI boom is real? Paul Bates, co-founder and Director at Uptiq, spent over two decades in tech and he's cutting through the hype. In this episode we get into why 70-90% of "AI" projects are really just automation, how companies are slashing cloud costs by 90% through app modernization, and why private AI models are becoming the enterprise default. We also talk about scaling a tech services business, data sovereignty, the hidden costs nobody plans for, and why trust is the only thing that actually closes deals in consulting. Practical, honest, and zero fluff.

Anemari Fiser on how to transition from software engineer to tech lead in 2026

In this episode, Anemari Fiser (former Tech Lead, Product Director, and author of the O'Reilly book Level Up as a Tech Lead) shares what it really takes to succeed in tech leadership. From burnout at ThoughtWorks to building her own coaching business, Anemari reveals why most problems in tech are people problems, not technical ones, and why soft skills and feedback are the true game-changers for Tech Leads. Whether you're aspiring to become a Tech Lead or looking to level up in your current role, this conversation is packed with practical insights on leadership, team culture, and career growth.

Adam Malik : How small Businesses can thrive in the AI era?

Adam Malik is a trade show veteran and digital transformation consultant with over two decades of experience launching major tech events and leading digital change inside media businesses. He has managed buyouts, built and sold companies, and spent the last two years running a live experiment: a one-person media business built almost entirely with AI-assisted workflows. He is the founder of Digitizing Events, where he documents what works when small businesses try to use AI, away from the hype.

Hannah Foxwell: Is AI Security Already Too Late | Why Banning AI Makes It Worse

Get real about AI security, community building, and why the transformation is never done with Hannah Foxwell, DevOps veteran, AI educator, and founder of AI for the Rest of Us. From securing AI agents to building inclusive tech spaces, Hannah brings a sharp, grounded perspective on what's actually happening in the industry right now.