Agentic Workflows to Performance Intelligence
Episode Overview
This week, Ari meets up with Geoff McQueen, founder and CEO of Ascendius, to review how AI is changing the way businesses operate, as well as how leaders should think about performance in an AI-first world. Drawing on 25 years of building and scaling tech companies, Geoff shares some hot takes on everything from individual productivity gains to agentic workflows and, ultimately, business-level AI.
Key Takeaways
- AI adoption happens in stages, not all at once. Geoff outlines a “three legs of the stool” model, starting with individual use (like ChatGPT), moving to agentic workflows, and ultimately evolving into AI that operates at the business level.
- IT teams have a natural advantage in the AI shift. With a systems mindset and experience managing complexity, IT professionals are well positioned to lead AI adoption... if they lean into business outcomes rather than ‘just’ tools.
- Knowledge is no longer the differentiator it once was. As AI absorbs and applies technical knowledge at scale, the value shifts from knowing information to applying it effectively in context.
- The biggest risk is staying purely technical. Geoff makes it clear that IT professionals who don’t develop a business-oriented mindset risk becoming less relevant as AI handles more traditional technical tasks.
- Performance, not prediction, is the key to the future. Rather than trying to forecast where AI will go, Geoff emphasizes that organizations should focus on becoming high performing today so they can adapt to whatever comes next.
FAQ
Q: What are the key stages of AI adoption Geoff describes?
A: Geoff breaks AI adoption into three phases: individual use (like chatbots), agentic workflows that automate tasks, and enterprise-level AI that understands and optimizes the business as a whole.
Timestamp: 8:17–9:27, 10:24–11:25
Q: How does AI change the role of IT professionals and knowledge workers?
A: Geoff explains that AI reduces the value of memorized knowledge and increases the importance of systems thinking and business alignment. IT teams need to shift toward solving real business problems, not merely managing tools.
Timestamp: 6:11–7:01, 17:59–18:54
Q: What advice does Geoff give for navigating AI-driven change?
A: He recommends balancing hands-on experimentation with a strong focus on applying AI to real business use cases. Most importantly, he emphasizes building a high-performing organization that can adapt as technology evolves.
Timestamp: 21:26–22:26, 27:03–28:10
