Is AI moving too fast for companies to keep up?

In this episode, Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, discusses how growth-stage companies are navigating the pressure to adopt AI while avoiding reactive decision-making. As AI tools evolve at an unprecedented pace, Chris explains why the companies seeing the strongest results aren't necessarily moving first, they're moving with intention.

While many leaders feel pressure to implement the latest AI tools immediately, Chris argues that there is no universal playbook. Instead, successful companies are taking a "slow down to go fast" approach: aligning AI initiatives to measurable business outcomes before scaling adoption across the organization.

Chris also explains why CEOs need to act as Chief AI Officers, how top-performing companies are structuring AI decisions department by department, and why measuring ROI matters more than simply adopting the newest platform or model.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

Why there's no one-size-fits-all AI strategy
How top-performing companies are approaching AI adoption differently
The role CEOs should play in guiding AI initiatives
How to align AI investments with measurable business outcomes

Key moments: (00:00) Introduction

(00:48) AI as both "heaven and hell"

(01:35) Why every company's AI strategy is different

(02:26) The danger of blindly following AI trends

(03:13) What past technology waves can teach us about AI

(04:00) Why companies can't afford to ignore AI

(04:43) Lessons from Edison's Growth Index data

(05:25) Slowing down to go fast with AI adoption

(06:10) Product enhancement vs. net-new AI products

(06:54) Why the CEO must act as CAIO

(08:04) The companies outperforming with AI strategy

(08:50) Why unmanaged AI adoption creates poor ROI

(09:35) Managing and measuring AI effectiveness