Before you use AI, fix the process

What if the biggest challenge with AI isn't the technology itself, but everything you need to have in place before you can actually use it?

In this episode of Net Effective, the Rental AI Show, Jonas Bordo talks with Josh Siddon, Founder and Principal Consultant at ResiQ, about what it really takes for rental housing operators to make AI useful.

Josh brings nearly 30 years of technology experience to the conversation, including senior technology leadership at a $2 billion retailer and most recently serving as VP of IT Architecture at MAA. Today, through ResiQ, he provides vendor-independent technology advice to apartment operators, helping them navigate AI, automation, infrastructure, data and PropTech.

The conversation goes beyond the AI hype to explore why clean, curated data and well-defined processes are essential foundations for successful AI adoption.

What they discuss

• Why AI should not be treated as an "easy button" and what companies need to address first
• The importance of clean, curated data and understanding how different systems connect
• Why PMS data can be easier to work with than data from access control, smart home, Wi-Fi and other systems
• Data warehouses, data lakes and creating controlled data sets for AI
• How companies can put guardrails around AI access to sensitive information
• Where AI and agents are already creating practical value for operators
• Using AI to automate repetitive tasks, from utility billing to maintenance workflows
• How AI can help maintenance teams prioritize work and reduce wasted travel time
• Why Josh views AI agents as another employee that needs management, coaching and governance
• How to evaluate AI and PropTech vendors in a market full of noise and "AI washing"
• The questions vendors don't always want to answer, including "What's failed?"
• Josh's first real "wow" moment with AI after building his own AI chief of staff
• How he uses AI to manage his personal technology infrastructure

Josh's central message is simple: before you apply AI, understand your data, your processes and your goals. The technology can be incredibly powerful, but it still needs the right foundation and the right oversight.

About Josh Siddon

Josh Siddon is Owner and Principal Consultant at ResiQ. He has spent 30 years leading technology for real businesses, beginning as a PC technician and rising to CIO/SVP and CISO of Fred's Inc., a $2 billion retailer.

Most recently, Josh was VP of IT Architecture at MAA, where he led the AI and Automation practice, property technology infrastructure design and portfolio-wide Wi-Fi rollout. Today, he runs ResiQ, a fee-for-service, vendor-independent technology advisory for independent apartment operators nationwide.

Josh also writes about managed Wi-Fi, AI and PropTech at TechScribe. He is a former President of SIM Memphis and serves on the Parks Associates Smart Spaces Advisory Board and the RETTC Intelligent Buildings Committee. He is also the author of The Legacy Gap.

Connect with Josh

ResiQ: https://www.resiq.co/
Email: josh@resiq.co
TechScribe: https://techscribe.org/

About Net Effective

Net Effective, the Rental AI Show is hosted by Jonas Bordo, CEO and co-founder of Dwellsy. Each episode explores how AI and emerging technology are actually changing rental housing, with practical conversations focused on what works, what doesn't, and where the industry is heading.