Kicking off 2026, Tim and Tom welcome Nexthink Chief Product Officer Samuele Gantner and first-time guest CTO Vedant Sampath for a candid “three pillars” deep-dive on enterprise AI. They explore how AI is reshaping product and engineering: new tooling, new development cycles, and the shift from deterministic software to probabilistic agents—plus the critical role of evals, benchmarks, guardrails, and performance. Then they unpack Nexthink’s three-pillar framework: AI for IT (proactive operations and the path to zero tickets), AI for employees (trusted, contextual self-help via Spark), and AI for the business (visibility, governance, and measurable ROI).

Tom also pays tribute, on behalf of the DEX Show team and Nexthink, to the late Alan Nance—remembering a generous, funny, and foundational voice in the DEX community.

Learn more about Spark, The World’s Most Powerful DEX Agent for Employees here 

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here 

In our tradtional end-of-year DEX Show special episode, Mondelez’s Geoff Wright returns to unpack a wild 2025 for IT, AI and employee experience. Tim, Tom and Geoff riff on AI agents that shop, plan travel and work across your browser tabs, the coming street fight between Windows and Chromebooks, and why younger workers just want a browser and to be left alone. Geoff explores shadow AI, culture and the human resistance to change, plus his Q1 predictions: Google’s big enterprise push, soaring laptop costs, and why experience, empathy and a good laugh still matter more than any shiny new model.

Learn more about Spark, The World’s Most Powerful DEX Agent for Employees here 

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here 

It’s our favorite Reality Bites tradition: the end-of-year panel! Tom and Tim bring the whole crew together—Megan, Ariana, Sean, and Dina—for a joyful, honest, and insight-packed reflection on 2025. From global travel and AI breakthroughs to personal milestones, hard-won lessons, and the music that carried us through the year, the team shares what defined a transformative moment for DEX, for Nexthink, and for each of us. Expect candid takes on AI balance, ambition, slop, mediation, vibe-coding, human connection—and a full round of “song of the year” picks from the whole panel. A warm, funny, heartfelt wrap to a huge year.

LISTEN AFTER THE MUSIC FOR TOM’S WORD OF THE YEAR AND SONG PICK

Learn more about Spark, The World’s Most Powerful DEX Agent for Employees here 

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here 

Tim and Tom sit down with Steve Wunker — Managing Director of New Markets Advisors, author, and early pioneer of the smartphone — to explore the big ideas behind his latest book, AI and the Octopus Organization. Steve breaks down why AI shouldn’t just “bolt onto” old processes, how distributed intelligence reshapes the firm, and what leaders can learn from one of nature’s most adaptable creatures. From organizational plasticity to the changing role of middle managers, Steve offers a pragmatic roadmap for thriving amid rapid AI-driven transformation.

Learn more about Spark, The World’s Most Powerful DEX Agent for Employees here 

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here 

In this Reality Bytes reunion, Tom, Sean, Tim, Oriana and Megan unpack the buzzy rise of vibe coding — the AI-assisted development trend coined by Andrej Karpathy and already explored by companies like Meta and Microsoft. The panel digs beneath the hype: from accelerated prototyping and accessibility gains to serious risks around technical debt, shadow applications, governance, security and the loss of human accountability. Oriana and Megan highlight the importance of schema, context and genuine creativity, while Tim warns against mistaking speed for quality. Is vibe coding the future - or just another fragile shortcut? The panel isn’t convinced… yet.

Learn more about Spark, The World’s Most Powerful DEX Agent, for Employees, here 

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here 

In a wide-ranging conversation, Robb Wilson—CEO and co-founder of OneReach.ai and author of The Age of Invisible Machines—joins Tim and Tom to explore the rise of agentic AI and its seismic implications for IT, organizations, and society. Robb breaks down the concept of agent runtimes, why conversational interfaces matter more than ever, and how adaptive, self-orchestrating systems will reshape work far beyond today’s service models.

They also discuss Robb's remarkable childhood memories of legendary philosopher of technology Marshall McLuhan.

Learn more about Nexthink's AI Drive here 

Tim, Tom, and Oriana sit down with Monica Filak, Director of Customer Success at Nexthink, to explore what it really takes to turn DEX from a tool into a transformative methodology. Monica shares how her team helps organizations move beyond technology to rethink their people, processes, and communication — bridging the long-standing divide between IT and the business. From creative internal branding to AI-driven efficiency gains, she explains how companies can evolve from “shiny tool” thinking to achieving measurable, human-centered value. 

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here

It’s a milestone moment! Our 200th episode of The DEX Show (and the first ever late one — sorry about that!). To mark the occasion, Nexthink Founder and CEO Pedro Bados returns to reflect on Nexthink’s incredible journey and discuss the company’s next era — from the recent investment by Vista Equity Partners to the accelerating fusion of DEX and AI. Pedro shares his perspective on how AI is reshaping the workplace, Nexthink’s vision for “an IT agent for every employee,” and why he’s optimistic about the future of technology and innovation. A landmark conversation to celebrate our big birthday.

Learn more about Spark, The World’s Most Powerful DEX Agent, for Employees, here 

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here 

This week, Tim and Tom are joined by RB regular and DEX Hub editor Sean Malvey to unpack Nexthink’s first Workplace Productivity Report, “Cracking the DEX Equation.” Drawing on data from nine million endpoints, the report quantifies the real productivity impact of digital employee experience — revealing where enterprises lose nearly half a million hours a year to poor DEX, and how small score gains deliver measurable ROI.

In addition, the team acknowledge the various huge milestones in the air, from the show's approaching 200th episode, to Nexthink's new $3bn dollar valuation and investment. 

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here - https://nexthink.com/resource/cracking-the-dex-equation-or-the-first-annual-workplace-productivity-report 

Tim and Tom host another special live edition of The DEX Show, this time from the Omni Boston Hotel, recorded during last week’s Experience Boston. Joined by Christina Lahr (Bayer), James Krick (Campbell’s), and Ryan Way (Warburg Pincus), the hosts dig into more real-world stories of data-led IT excellence, once again in-person.

In between, listeners can learn a few unexpected facts about Tim — has he ever been in a fist fight, starred in a play, or been thrown out of a bar? Listen now to find out...

Download The First Annual Workplace Productivity Report here 

Head of Nexthink's Digital Community and User Groups Jon Leighton rejoins Reality Bytes with Tom, Sean, and Dina to explore how community remains the beating heart of Digital Employee Experience (DEX).

Fresh from Experience London and heading into Experience Boston, Jon shares how Nexthink’s Ambassador Program, user groups, and learning initiatives empower practitioners to grow, collaborate, and lead change. From storytelling and communication to real-world impact and career development, this episode celebrates the people and connections driving DEX forward.

Learn more about becoming a Nexthink Ambassadors here: https://nexthink.com/nexthink-ambassador 

Take a DEX Management Certification here: https://dex.nexthink.com/dex-management-certification/

Get the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)  

Learn more about AI Drive here and Nexthink Adopt here

Tim and Tom are back with another special DEX Show Live!—recorded last week at Nexthink Experience London at the Intercontinental by the iconic O2. Day 1 of the world's biggest DEX event saw over a thousand IT pros gather for two days of innovation, insight, and energy. In this lively episode, the hosts are joined by Guillaume Charles, Senior Director of Product Management (Diagnostics) at Nexthink, and Gabriela Moraes from Electrolux to explore the state of digital and AI adoption in the enterprise. Plus, the audience gets involved in a hilarious round of AI Confessions—revealing just how far they’ve already let AI into their work (and personal) lives.

Book your tickets for Nexthink Experience Boston here: https://nexthink.com/experience

Get the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)  

Learn more about AI Drive here and Nexthink Adopt here

The Reality Bytes team is back together again! Tim, Tom, Megan, Dina and Sean swap stories of how AI has reshaped their personal and professional lives and habits over the past year—from eerie chatbot encounters and creative breakthroughs to frustrations with hallucinations and the hunt for the true “human fingerprint.” 

Learn more about AI Drive here

Book your tickets for Nexthink Experience here: https://nexthink.com/experience

Get the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)  

In this very special episode of The DEX Show, we welcome back one of the world’s most influential voices on digital transformation and the future of AI leadership: Charlene Li.

Charlene is a bestselling author and trailblazing thinker who has helped leaders navigate disruption for over two decades. She returns to the show for an unmissable conversation on the realities of AI Transformation—and what it means for organizations, leaders, and employees at every level.

Part of our AI Transformation Series marking the launch of AI Drive, this conversation goes well beyond hype.

Learn more about AI Drive here

Book your tickets for Nexthink Experience (Boston or London) here: https://nexthink.com/experience

Get the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)  

In this special Reality Bytes, the team sits down with Matt Rose, Product Marketing Manager at Nexthink, to talk about the just-announced AI Drive. Matt breaks down how AI Drive helps organizations finally make sense of their scattered AI landscape—bringing visibility, usage insights, guidance, and measurable impact into one place inside the Nexthink Infinity platform. He also shares early customer feedback, the future roadmap, and why AI adoption has become a critical competitive differentiator.

If you’ve wondered how to move beyond AI experimentation to true business value, this is an episode you need to hear.

Book your tickets for Nexthink Experience (Boston or London) here: https://nexthink.com/experience

Get the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)  

In this episode Tim and Tom sit down with Sean Thomas, Managing Director of EUEM Business at Edge Consulting, to explore how happiness, health, and IT success are all connected.

They dive into the parallels between personal health and IT health, the evolution of proactive and preventative IT, and how organizations can better operationalize digital employee experience (DEX). From vendor partnerships and process investments to the role of AI in shaping the next generation of IT management, Sean offers valuable insights for leaders navigating today’s complex digital workplace.

Get the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)

Book your tickets for Nexthink Experience (Boston or London) here: https://nexthink.com/experience

Check out EDGE here: https://edge-solutions.com/

Reality Bytes is back! In this episode, Tim, Tom, Megan, and Sean dive deep into DEXOps—the practice of operationalizing Digital Employee Experience. Building on insights from the show's recent webinar series, the team explores how IT leaders can shift from reactive firefighting to a proactive, structured approach that drives measurable business value. They cover the key pillars of DEXOps—from people development and process rigor to technology selection, communication strategies, and leadership alignment. You’ll hear why DEXOps isn’t a side project or “hobby,” but a mission-critical discipline, as essential as security or uptime. Whether you’re a lean IT team looking for efficiencies or a mature organization ready to scale, this conversation breaks down the theory and practice behind making DEX real in day-to-day operations. Plus, get a preview of upcoming webinars and certifications to help you build your own DEXOps journey.

Check out episode 1 of the DEXOps webinar series on demand here 

Check out episode 2 of the DEXOps webinar series on demand here

Register for episode 3 LIVE here

Get the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)

Book your tickets for Nexthink Experience (Boston or London) here: https://nexthink.com/experience

Tim and Tom are joined by Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, bestselling author of Artificial Intelligence for HR, and a leading thinker on the intersection of people, technology, and the future of work. Together they explore how AI is reshaping HR — not only in how the function operates day-to-day, but also in how it redefines HR’s outward-facing strategic role in organizations.

Learning more about Ben’s research and insights here: lhra.io

Read Nexthink's study on AI, HR, and IT here: https://nexthink.com/resource/its-new-mandate-the-science-of-productivity-part-2

Read about AI's impact on creativity here: https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-explores-impact-llms-human-creativity.html

Book your ticket for Nexthink Experience Boston or London here: https://experience.nexthink.com/london

Back again for the last installment of this story! Here's the season finale of Tim Flower's brand new IT mystery series, Parallel. 

Knowledge is power—until you forget.

In the midst of troubleshooting performance and productivity issues, the team at Zentech found yet another problem – Employees struggling with constant change and not able to leverage the apps they need to get their job done. Across industries, employees are struggling with the relentless pace of technology changes, especially with AI. And I’ve seen it as I travel the world talking with executives and tech leaders – they’re all concerned not only with IT’s ability to transform quickly, without breakage, but also with their employee’s ability to keep up with the pace and volume of change. Training sessions forgotten, new systems replacing old ones overnight, and IT teams overwhelmed with employees who simply can’t keep up.  At Zentech, the story is no different.

Join us as we investigate the unseen breakdown of knowledge retention and the chaos it leaves behind - in Episode 5 - The Forgotten.

Starring the Reality Bytes crew: Tim Flower, Tom McGrath, Meghan Brake, Oriana Ott, Sean Malvey, and Kathryn Shea.

In this episode, Tom speaks with Tania Benade-Meyer, founder of Unstructured, about the power of unstructured data, the shift from SLAs to XLAs, and what it takes to be an “enlightened leader” in 2025.

From Starbucks’ gluten-free perception problem to Gen Z’s naturally inclusive leadership style, Tania shares research-driven insights into how perception, trust, and consistent action are reshaping the modern workplace—and driving better Digital Employee Experience (DEX). Along the way, you’ll get a masterclass in what great 21st-century leadership looks like: how social listening can predict human behavior, why XLAs reveal more than traditional metrics, and the tell-tale signs of harmful leadership—where words and actions don’t align.

Connect with Tania Benade-Meyer: LinkedIn | Unstructured.co

Get the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)

Book your tickets for Nexthink Experience (Boston or London) here: https://nexthink.com/experience