Episode #42
The Biggest Mistake Leaders Make When Adopting AI with Jan Young
How do you leverage the speed of AI without letting bad data and "slop" ruin your company's quality? Jan Young, founder of Jan Young CX and Step Up Exchange, brings decades of leadership experience across product, sales, and customer success, from tech’s early days to today’s AI-driven landscape. As an advisor and community founder, her perspective is earned through real-world work with executives navigating rapid structural and operational shifts. This conversation helps leaders move past the panic of fast-moving tech to focus on what actually matters: maintaining human judgment, managing change fatigue, and setting up AI systems thoughtfully. Listeners walk away with a grounded framework for integrating AI responsibly into business models without sacrificing operational quality or team alignment. You’ll learn: Why context is the critical layer in AI output: Why simply connecting models to data isn't enough, and how human review prevents "AI slop" and flawed decision-making. How to build sustainable change leadership: Practical strategies for guiding teams through cognitive overload and change fatigue during rapid tech shifts. The shift toward outcome and usage-based models: How the changing economics of AI impact customer retention, revenue structures, and go-to-market strategies. How to preserve personal and organizational IP: Why maintaining your unique voice, frameworks, and documents outside locked platforms is essential for long-term agility. The evolving role of customer success and leadership: How cross-functional knowledge and domain specificity turn leadership into a strategic growth driver rather than a reactive support function. (00:00) - Introduction to AI and Leadership (02:44) - Jan Young's Journey and Expertise (10:05) - The Importance of Curiosity in Career Development (14:19) - Building Community in a Digital Age (17:11) - The Human Connection in an AI-Driven World (20:36) - Implementing AI in Business Workflows (24:54) - Intentional AI Usage (29:54) - Career Advice and Intrapreneurship (32:46) - Evolving Roles in Customer Success (39:50) - Navigating Change in the AI Era (47:29) - Lightning Round Insights Follow Jan Young. This episode was brought to you by RevSetter & Nebelus AI. Did this episode shift your thinking? Make sure to like, subscribe, and share your reflections in the comments. Your voice is part of the conversation. See you in the next episode! Follow: LinkedIn Instagram Hosts: Haydar - LinkedIn Ivy - LinkedIn
