Just Curious: Applied AI for Value Creation
Just Curious is the podcast of Pluris, a platform connecting investors and operators with the world’s leading applied AI experts. Each episode turns AI from buzzword to bottom line through sharp case studies and practical conversations. We explore how AI is used to grow revenue, expand margins, improve operations, and create measurable value inside real businesses.
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Just Curious: Applied AI for Value Creation
Justin Massa - Remix Partners | Building an AI Strategy for SMB Leaders
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Justin Massa, Partner & Co-Founder of Remix Partners, helps SMB and mid-market teams translate rapidly evolving AI capabilities into practical workflows that unlock real business value. His perspective matters because he has spent a decade guiding leaders through emerging technology waves and building repeatable frameworks that help organizations identify, experiment with, and operationalize AI in ways that drive competitive differentiation. In this episode, he explains why most executives lack a true on-ramp into generative AI, and how techniques, jigs, and tools provide a structured path from experimentation to scalable impact.
You’ll Learn:
- How to build an “AI on-ramp” that gives leaders strategic context—not just task-level tricks
- Why techniques, jigs, and tools form a maturity path for workflow transformation
- How to identify the specific AI capabilities tied to a company’s competitive differentiation
- How early experimentation accelerates prototyping speed and cross-functional innovation
- How to approach ROI rigorously when deciding whether to adopt, buy, or build AI tools
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:00 Justin’s background in innovation and AI
02:15 The client’s challenge and early skepticism
03:40 The on-ramp problem for business leaders
06:20 Techniques vs. jigs vs. tools
10:50 How leaders decide what to build or buy
14:30 Evaluating ROI and tool decisions
18:45 Why leaders don’t need deep technical knowledge
22:00 Coaching executives to use AI directly
24:20 Startup acceleration and rapid prototyping
26:45 Advice for leaders beginning their AI journey
Links:
- Explore more interviews and Justin Massa's expert profile: https://www.justcurious.io/experts/justin-massa
- Connect with Justin Massa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmassa/
- Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/smZC_jLk0Zs
Just Curious is the content and podcast brand of Pluris, helping leading operators and investors cut through a noisy AI market and find the right partners — from strategy and assessments to full-stack AI development. Our network of applied AI experts spans generative and agentic AI, workflow automation, and custom AI-powered software, helping teams turn curiosity into measurable value.
Explore more interviews and connect with experts at https://www.checkpluris.com
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