Podcast Summary: Eli Promisel on Building Global Networks and Embracing the Age of Physical AI

Show: The Digital Executive (Coruzant Technologies)
Episode: 1057
Date: May 6, 2025
Guest: Eli Promisel, Partner at Silicon Foundry
Host: Brian (Coruzant Technologies)

Overview

This episode features Eli Promisel, a partner at Silicon Foundry, who advises clients on emerging technologies that are reshaping industries such as mobility, economic development, travel, energy, financial services, and consumer retail. The conversation centers on Eli's entrepreneurial beginnings, global perspective from living in major cities, and his views on the transformative role of physical AI across multiple sectors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• Background:
  Eli began his entrepreneurial journey in high school by founding an aerial photography business using early DJI drones.

• Impact:

  • Gained experience in innovation by modifying equipment to meet business needs (“I had to sort of hack the drone a little bit and attach a camera to it myself.” – Eli, 01:35).
  • Built sales skills and customer relationships by working with local businesses (car dealerships, roofing companies, etc.).
  • Early business experience provided foundational skills used throughout his career.

  Quote:

  “It was a great opportunity to start to get my foot in the door of what it could look like to launch my own venture, but then also get some experience with selling, dealing with customers. A lot of the different skills that I was able to start building and start developing that I would absolutely start using much later on in my career.”
  — Eli (02:12)

2. Emerging and Disruptive Tech Trends: ‘The Age of Physical AI’

• AI Dominance:
  AI remains a dominant force, but Eli spotlights a new evolution he calls “physical AI.”

• Physical AI Defined:

  • Moves beyond enterprise tasks (knowledge management, marketing) to integrate AI agentic capabilities with physical infrastructure.
  • Involves autonomous decision-making and real-world actuation—such as autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots (04:20).

• Industry Impacts:

  • Major effects anticipated in industries with a substantial physical component: mobility, energy, and retail.
  • Uses IoT, sensors, and edge computing as foundational layers for next-gen physical AI.

  Quote:

  “This topic of physical AI, you can’t unsee it. It’s really everywhere… It’s able to autonomously make decisions… and bring real actuation into real world environments.”
  — Eli (04:00)

3. Ethics, Caution, and Acceleration in AI Adoption

• Ethical Considerations:
  The host and Eli agree on the necessity of ethical guardrails as AI (especially physical and agentic) begins to substitute human roles (e.g., Duolingo’s use of AI to replace contractors).
• Call for Balance:
  The sector should innovate with “agentic AI” but implement it thoughtfully and ethically.

4. Global Perspective: Building Networks Across Cultures

• Global Living Experience:
  Eli has lived and worked in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Milan, and London, deeply influencing his relationship-building skills.

• Approach to Networking:

  • Early sales jobs fostered resilience and confidence in approaching strangers and handling rejection.
  • Emphasizes relationships built in social/cultural settings over purely business contexts, strengthening his global network.

• Professional Impact:
  Eli’s diverse network aids in advising executives, facilitating innovation, and solving problems across industries and sectors.

  Quote:

  “I found that there’s an incredible opportunity to start building these relationships, no matter which direction they might head in… Having those opportunities really helped me build this foundation for the network that I have today.”
  — Eli (07:23)

5. Future Outlook: Navigating Emerging Technologies

• Short-Term Focus Over Futurism:
  Silicon Foundry grounds its recommendations in actionable, near-term realities rather than distant predictions (09:20).

• Advice for Executives:

  • Develop a culture of exploration and experimentation but couple it with diligence and patience.
  • Don’t blindly follow every hype cycle; wait for market signals to reveal high-value opportunities.
  • Timing is crucial—“combining speed and direction equals velocity.”

  Quote:

  “It’s very important that corporate executives… not only develop a culture of exploration, discovery and experimentation, but also… not just jumping at every single use case… but letting the market dictate.”
  — Eli (10:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Early Innovation:
  “I've been fascinated by emerging tech, innovation, startups, venture capital from a very young age.”
  — Eli (01:26)

• On the Rise of Physical AI:
  “When Jensen [Huang] stood up on stage… and proclaimed, you know, this is now the era or the age of physical AI… that name is out in the wild. This topic of physical AI, you can't unsee it.”
  — Eli (03:48)

• On Building Relationships:
  “Most of the relationships that I built were in more social settings… rather than being those created in business settings like conferences or in meetings and such.”
  — Eli (07:41)

• On Strategic Patience:
  “Being able to strike with speed, direction and ultimately combining those two together, velocity.”
  — Eli (11:50)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:59 – Eli’s introduction and entrepreneurial origins
• 01:24–02:37 – Impact of high school drone venture
• 03:14–05:29 – Discussion of the age of physical AI and industry shifts
• 06:35–08:26 – How global experience shapes networking and relationships
• 09:11–11:59 – Guidance for leaders: balancing exploration and caution in tech adoption

Episode Takeaways

• Early, hands-on innovation sets the foundation for a lifelong career in tech and business.
• The next wave of AI—physical and agentic—will profoundly impact industries with real-world operations.
• Global exposure and building genuine, cross-cultural relationships are critical for business growth in a connected world.
• In adopting emerging technologies, ground strategies in near-term, actionable value—be exploratory but prudent.
• Success lies in navigating hype responsibly, with a balance of speed, timing, and strategic experimentation.