73. Building an AI First Organisation Part 2

In this episode we discuss: Unlocking AI for Non-Technical Leaders. We are joined by Charlie Cowan, Founder of Kowalah and author of "How To Sell Tech" and “The Revenue Operations Playbook”.

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We chat about the following with Charlie Cowan:

• Is AI more accessible than we think?
• What’s the difference between AI agents and workflows—and why does it matter for businesses looking to scale?
• How can organizations build their own AI-powered tools instead of relying solely on SaaS solutions?
• What role does leadership play in AI adoption, and why is AI literacy now a must-have skill for future executives?
• Can a simple “power hour” or habit shift really transform your productivity—and what does AI have to do with it?

References

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliecowan/
• www.charliecowan.ai
• www.kowalah.com

Biography

Charlie works with CEOs and senior leaders looking to embed AI behaviours across their organisation.

With a 25 year career in SaaS, consulting and enterprise sales, Charlie bridges the gap between AI technology and practical applied use cases that help teams work smarter and faster.

Charlie is the author of two books - How To Sell Tech and The Revenue Operations Playbook.

Charlie is the founder of Kowalah, an AI-powered platform that helps buying teams to run a great buying processes, pick the right vendors and reduce the fear of messing up.

Charlie built Kowalah as a solo-founder using AI development tools.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here.

Summary

26:36 Introduction to AI Adoption for Non-Technical Executives

027:16 Understanding AI Optimism vs. Pessimism

28:08 Defining AI Policies for Effective Implementation

29:52 The Concept of Agentic AI

31:23 Distinguishing Between Agents and Workflows

33:01 Building Effective AI Agents

37:49 Evaluating Future Tech Stacks for AI Integration

43:05 Empowering Leadership in the Age of AI

46:06 Navigating AI Tools for Policy Management

46:23 Crafting Effective Prompts for AI Tools

49:54 Building a Data Repository for Enhanced Insights

51:44 The Power Hour: Maximizing Productivity

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