Weekly insights on AI workforce transformation for operators
The automation mindset, the leadership culture, and the operational strategy to bring it all together. Not theory — implementations you can ship in 90 to 180 days.
The Automation Mindset: AI, Layoffs, and the Future of Work
In this inaugural episode of Operational Visions, David and Collin Russell explore the wave of AI-driven layoffs sweeping the tech industry, the concept of the 'automation mindset,' and what it takes to thrive in a rapidly changing workforce. From Block's mass layoffs to Coinbase's visionary approach, they discuss how leaders should think about measuring impact versus productivity.
Latest Episodes
Fresh perspectives on technology and operations
Not another AI hype podcast
Plenty of podcasts tell you AI will change everything. We cover the mindset, the leadership, and the operational strategy to actually make it happen — this quarter.
The Automation Mindset
Goes well beyond AI. We explore the instinct to identify pain in repeated processes and the discipline to eliminate it — with or without machine learning.
Leadership & Culture
Technology doesn't transform organizations — leaders do. We dig into the cultural shifts that determine whether innovation thrives or dies on the vine.
Operational Strategy
How to bring automation, people, and process together into something that actually works. That's an operational vision — and the reason for the name.
90–180 Day Horizons
We only talk about what you can ship in the next six months. Achievable goals, not lofty fantasies that make your team feel like they're falling behind.
Two generations. One vision.
David Russell is a Distinguished Innovation Fellow at Cortado Group with 45+ years of engineering leadership — from ML-powered facial recognition systems to the enterprise AI platforms he builds today. He created Cortado's Five Levels of AI Maturity Framework and is the author of the forthcoming book, AI-Powered Growth.
Collin Russell, Innovation Engineer at Cortado Group, brings the lens of a 22-year-old who grew up building with AI tools — not reading about them. Together, they cut through the hype to talk about what actually works.
David Russell
Distinguished Innovation Fellow
Cortado Group
Collin Russell
Innovation Engineer
Cortado Group