Why AI Scaffolding Matters More than Use Cases
Erika Flowers
ex-NASA, AI and Facilitation Leader
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Season 6 Episode 12
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We’re in a moment when organizations are approaching agentic AI backwards, chasing flashy use cases instead of building the scaffolding that makes AI agents actually work at scale. Erika Flowers, who led NASA’s AI Readiness Initiative and has advised Meta, Google, Netflix, and Intuit, joins Robb and Josh for a frank and funny conversation about what’s broken in enterprise AI adoption. She dismantles the myth of the “big sexy AI use case” and explains why most AI projects fail before they start. The trio makes the case that we’re entering a post-software world, whether organizations are ready or not. Listen and learn why the scaffolding— or agent runtime — matters more than use cases, why organizational gaps kill AI projects, how to move projects from pilot to production, and what “post-software” actually means for enterprises.
Learn more about Erika at www.helloerikaflowers.com
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About the guest
Erika Flowers led NASA’s AI Readiness Initiative, and digital transformation at NASA. She has advised some of the world's most innovative companies on AI readiness and organizational transformation, including Meta, Google, Netflix, Intuit, and Mural. She specializes in helping enterprises move from AI experimentation to agentic deployment through rapid iteration, human-centered design, and lean startup principles. Known for bridging the gap between AI possibility and organizational reality, Erika's work focuses on making agentic systems practical, sustainable, and human-centered at scale.
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