How One CIO Is Rethinking Strategy Without Cutting Jobs with Sree Kancharla

Podcast Update & House Tour

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How One CIO Is Rethinking Strategy Without Cutting Jobs with Sree Kancharla

AI is changing everything, from how we work to how we learn to how we take care of our families. But is it replacing jobs… or creating entirely new opportunities? In this episode of Promptly Speaking, Sara and Dan sit down with Sreeveni Kancharla (“Sree”), CIO at SailPoint, to unpack what the AI revolution really means for leaders, employees, and the next generation entering the workforce. Sree brings a rare, grounded perspective from the front lines of enterprise transformation, balancing innovation, governance, productivity, and humanity in a world where AI agents are becoming part of everyday work. 💡 Topics We Cover: 1. How AI is reshaping the workforce and where the real opportunities are 2. Why AI shouldn’t replace people, but amplify them 3. How leaders should think about productivity, governance, and strategy 4. Why junior employees still matter in an AI-driven world 5. How AI can support personal life decisions, learning, and creativity 6. The importance of human judgment, critical thinking, and boundaries 7. Why embracing AI is no longer optional, but blind trust is dangerous ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 AI, Job Displacement, and Opportunity 00:43 Introducing Sree and Her Role as CIO 02:01 Why AI Is Different From Past Tech Revolutions 02:41 The Pressure on Leaders to Define AI Strategy 04:39 Junior Roles, Internships, and the Future Workforce 08:09 Why Human-in-the-Loop Still Matters 15:20 Using AI in Personal Life: Healthcare, Family, and Trust 18:20 AI as a Creative and Learning Tool 24:38 How AI Empowers the Next Generation 26:50 Rethinking Business Processes with AI Agents 31:51 Productivity, Strategic Thinking, and Leadership Time 36:49 Learning Habits, Curiosity, and Staying Relevant 39:08 Final Advice: How to Start Embracing AI Today How to Find Sree: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreeveni-kancharla/ Follow Sara & Dan: Sara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralynneroberts/ Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danroberts27/ Email: hello@promptlyspeakingpod.com [hello@promptlyspeakingpod.com]

Using AI to Be More Human (Year in Review)

Everyone's been talking about AI this year. Where does it move the needle? Where does it fall short? In the final Promptly Speaking episode of 2025, Sara and Dan take a moment to reflect on what they've learned from their guests, and through their own experimentation with AI in life & work. Now, more than ever, it's important that we stop and take a moment to think about where we're trying to go in this world of technology that's moving so fast. ⏱ Timestamps: 01:23 Embracing AI in Daily Life 04:07 The Power of Continuous Learning 04:36 Optimizing Business Processes with AI1 3:44 Real-World Applications of AI 16:38 Reflecting on the Future 22:34 Humanizing Technology Follow Sara & Dan: Sara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralynneroberts/ Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danroberts27/ Email: hello@promptlyspeakingpod.com

AI in Sales: Slowing Down to Get it Right with Scott Barghaan

What if the biggest risk in AI adoption isn’t falling behind, but moving too fast without clarity? In this episode of Promptly Speaking, Sara and Dan speak with Scott Barghaan, a longtime enterprise sales leader whose career spans EMC and Salesforce, and who now teaches future business leaders at the Kellogg School of Management. Scott unpacks how AI is actually reshaping the practice of sales, not through flashy tools or automated outreach, but through better preparation, deeper customer context, and higher expectations for judgment. He explains how executives are often pressured to adopt AI before clearly defining the problem they are trying to solve, and why AI delivers real value only when it is applied to concrete constraints around scale, cost, and margin rather than introduced as a solution in search of a use case. The conversation explores how buyers are showing up differently, how great sellers adapt without losing authenticity, and what practical, grounded AI adoption looks like for teams of any size. 💡 Topics We Cover: - Why buyers now enter sales conversations later, more informed, and more skeptical - Board-level pressure to adopt AI and how it shapes executive decision-making- Why starting with tools instead of problems leads to disappointment - Using AI to prepare for better conversations, not replace sellers - Customer context as the real advantage in modern sales - Where AI genuinely helps sales teams today and where it can backfire - The risk of AI-assisted communication sounding polished but hollow - Buying committees, political capital, and why “helping buyers buy” matters more than ever - How small teams can pilot AI, measure impact, and scale responsibly - Teaching sales and leadership during a major technology shift ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to AI, sales, and executive pressure 01:04 Scott’s career journey from enterprise sales to academia 02:41 Advising AI startups and supporting non-profits 04:49 Customer-centric selling in the AI era 08:42 How the role of the salesperson is changing 11:16 Leveraging AI for research, preparation, and insight 25:28 Why buying is harder than selling 31:15 Convincing executives to embrace AI thoughtfully 33:02 Why this technology shift feels different 33:50 AI’s role in business transformation 34:29 Challenges and opportunities with AI adoption 35:21 What successful AI implementation actually looks like 36:42 Addressing fear, risk, and resistance around AI 41:03 Lessons from teaching at Kellogg 46:03 Final reflections and practical takeaways How to Find Scott: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbarghaan/ Kellogg: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/faculty/barghaan-scott/ Follow Sara & Dan: Sara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralynneroberts/ Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danroberts27/ Email: hello@promptlyspeakingpod.com

AI, Misdiagnoses, and the Unsexy Work that Could Fix Healthcare with Matt Crowson, MD

In this episode of Promptly Speaking, Sara and Dan speak with Matt Crowson, a fellowship trained ear surgeon who has spent the last decade working at the intersection of clinical medicine, data, and artificial intelligence. Matt explains why diagnostic error is far more common than most patients realize, using ear infections as a powerful and personal case study. He shares how a machine learning model he co-developed at Mass General achieved roughly 95% accuracy in diagnosing pediatric ear infections, compared to the average human accuracy, which is closer to 60 to 70%, and why that gap matters for both everyday care and global health. The conversation goes beyond diagnostics to focus on where AI is already making meaningful progress in healthcare today, particularly in reducing administrative burden through tools like ambient documentation and message triage. Together, they explore the barriers to AI adoption in healthcare, including privacy, liability, fragmented data systems, and regulation, as well as the growing role of clinicians in shaping AI products. The episode closes with practical advice for patients on how generative AI can be used responsibly right now to better understand medical bills, insurance documents, and care options, while acknowledging the real tradeoffs around data privacy and trust. 💡 Topics Covered: * Why humans are surprisingly bad at diagnosing common conditions * How AI can reduce diagnostic variability without replacing clinicians * Pediatric ear infections as a global health problem * AI in low-resource and rural healthcare settings * Administrative burnout and “pajama time” for clinicians * Ambient scribes and inbox triage as early AI wins * Payers vs providers and how healthcare actually works * Accountability and liability when AI is involved in care * Why healthcare AI moves slower than other industries * How patients can use generative AI today without over-trusting it ⏱ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to ear infections and AI in healthcare 00:44 Meet Matt Crowson: from ENT surgeon to AI advocate 01:36 Payers vs providers and how the healthcare system functions 02:39 AI and administrative burden in clinical work 04:55 Privacy, safety, and regulatory barriers to AI adoption 09:37 What a Chief Medical Officer does in an AI company 13:37 AI in rural healthcare and pediatric ear infection case study 26:35 Accountability and liability in AI-assisted care 26:51 The scalpel analogy and human responsibility 29:57 AI’s potential impact on healthcare costs 30:41 Generative AI and patient empowerment 36:10 What the future of AI in healthcare may realistically look like 36:40 How AI tools are implemented inside hospitals 38:35 Real-world AI deployments and auditing41:14 Vendor and healthcare system partnerships 42:01 Practical advice for patients using generative AI 45:07 Final reflections How to Find Matt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgcrowson Follow Sara & Dan: Sara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralynneroberts/ Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danroberts27/ Email: ⁠hello@promptlyspeakingpod.com⁠ [hello@promptlyspeakingpod.com]