Start At Zero
Start at Zero is a conversation-first podcast about what it actually takes to modernize technology, build a business from scratch, and make sense of AI without the hype. Episodes range from focused 15-minute interviews with government leaders and tech founders to longer deep dives where I walk through what I'm building in real time - the AI agents, the automation stack, the hard lessons from 20 years of consulting.
The tone is direct and honest. I don't do scripted questions or softball setups. I want the story behind the story - what went wrong, what you'd do differently, what nobody in the room was willing to say. Guests should expect a conversation that feels like two people working through a real problem together, not a performance.
Topics include government technology, AI in the real world, entrepreneurship, consulting, procurement, and the messy intersection of all of them. Some episodes are interviews, some are just me thinking out loud about something I built or broke that week.
If you've got a real story - something you built, something that failed, a lesson that cost you - you'll fit right in here. I'll send a loose topic outline beforehand, but the best episodes happen when we go off-script.
Start At Zero
Government AI Pilots Are Failing — Here’s Why
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Over 90% of enterprise AI pilots never make it to production — and in local government, the consequences go far beyond wasted budgets.
In this episode of Untangled, we break down why so many AI initiatives collapse after impressive demos, and what successful agencies do differently. From misaligned problem selection to messy data, vendor-led hype, and the absence of human judgment, this conversation cuts through the noise to explain what AI can actually do today — and where it still falls short.
If your agency is feeling pressure to “do something with AI,” this episode offers a grounded framework for choosing the right pilots, protecting public trust, and investing in technology that delivers real service outcomes — not AI theater.
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