Episode 46

Why Technology Fails Without People | Michael Saitow Explains AI, Innovation & Success

Technology leadership insights #technologyleadership #peoplefirsttech #biotechinsights

In this episode, Michael Saitow explains why technology success begins with people and clear goals. Please visit our website to get more information: https://swangroup.net/

Many companies pick tools before defining what they want to build and why. They focus on automation and AI without aligning teams around a shared destination. Michael highlights common issues in biotech and manufacturing where misalignment across leadership stops progress.

The conversation explains how leaders should define purpose before choosing software or AI solutions. You will learn why people and process matter more than tools alone, how to align cross-functional teams, and why organizational culture drives innovation.

Specifically, this episode highlights the following themes:

How misalignment across leadership teams quietly derails technology initiatives
Why defining the “why” matters more than choosing the tool
The evolution from automation and machine learning to today’s AI umbrella

Links from this episode:

Get to know more about Steven Swan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swangroup
Get to know more about Michael Saitow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-saitow
Learn more about Saitow Consulting: https://www.saitowconsulting.com

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction
01:10 – Michael’s background in manufacturing and biotech
03:14 – From triangle to quadrilateral: people, process, technology, data
05:27 – Why companies choose tools before defining the destination
08:56 – Alignment gaps between C-suite and operators
10:34 – Incentives, compensation, and cross-functional conflict
17:12 – Why clean data is foundational to AI
22:16 – Governance, PHI, and the risks of public AI models
27:42 – Fractional leadership and upskilling internal teams
36:13 – The five drivers behind every business decision
40:08 – Hiring for AI: strategy vs. FOMO
45:18 – Final thoughts and favorite live concerts

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Stay Connected With Us.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-swan-group/
Website: https://swangroup.net/

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