Mike Hanson, CTO at Clockwise, joins the show to break down how our relationship with computers is changing as language based systems reshape expectations. We explore why natural storytelling feels so intuitive with today’s AI tools, how context is becoming the new currency of great software, and why narrow AI is often more powerful than the industry hype suggests.
This conversation gives tech leaders a grounded look at what is real, what is noise, and what is coming fast.
Key Takeaways
• Natural storytelling is becoming the default way people communicate with AI, and products must adjust to that shift.
• Context is the driving force behind great interaction design and LLM powered systems now surface and use context at a scale traditional UIs never could.
• Most real world gains come from narrow AI that solves focused everyday problems, not from broad AGI promises.
• Multi agent systems and multiplayer coordination are emerging as the next frontier for enterprise AI.
• The biggest risk is not model weakness but user uncertainty about when an answer is trustworthy.
Timestamped Highlights
01:21 What Clockwise is building with its scheduling brain and how natural language creates new value
04:13 Why humans default to storytelling and how LLMs finally make that instinct useful
08:00 The rising expectation that software should understand context the way people do
12:13 The shift away from feed centric design and toward multi person coordination in AI systems
17:31 Why narrow AI delivers real value while wide AI often creates anxiety
23:52 A real world example of how AI can remove busy work by orchestrating tasks across tools
26:24 Why we do not need AGI to meaningfully improve everyday productivity
A standout thought
People have always tried to talk to computers in a natural way. The difference now is that the systems finally understand us well enough to meet us where we already are.
Pro Tips
• Look for AI that reduces busy work across tools rather than chasing broad capability.
• Prioritize context rich interactions in your product planning. It will define user expectations for years to come.
• Treat multi person workflows as the next major opportunity. Most teams still rely on manual coordination.
Call to action
If this episode helped you think differently about where AI is actually useful, follow the show and share it with someone who is building product in this space. And join me on LinkedIn for weekly insights on tech, people, and impact.