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🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/719

What happens when AI tools like Microsoft Copilot don’t live up to the hype? Fabio Bonolo has made it his mission to turn that disappointment into transformation. In this episode, he shares how companies can move from confusion to clarity—by structuring their Microsoft 365 environments, embracing strategic adoption, and unlocking real productivity with AI. Whether you're leading change or navigating it, this conversation offers practical insights into making Copilot work for your business.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Copilot is not autopilot: Success with AI requires human input, clear prompting, and realistic expectations.
- Strategic adoption beats technical deployment: Copilot projects thrive when treated as business transformation, not just IT rollouts.
- Compliance is critical: Tools like Microsoft Purview help organizations audit AI usage and protect sensitive data.
- Copilot drives better M365 architecture: The push to adopt AI is forcing companies to rethink permissions, governance, and collaboration models.
- PowerPoint’s hidden AI features: Connecting Copilot with the Organization Asset Library unlocks dynamic, brand-consistent presentations.

🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 Microsoft Copilot – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot
👉 Microsoft Purview – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/compliance/microsoft-purview
👉 EU AI Act – https://artificialintelligenceact.eu
👉 Copilot Studio & Agents – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot-studio
👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series – How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7

This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

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Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

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🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/718

What happens when global policymakers, technologists, and lawyers converge to shape the future of AI? In this episode, Andrew Welch shares insights from the UN’s AI for Good Summit in Geneva, where 15,000 thought leaders tackled the ethical, legal, and cultural challenges of artificial intelligence. From the EU AI Act to the dominance of English in training data, this conversation explores how regulation can drive—not hinder—innovation, and why trust in AI starts with understanding its global impact.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- AI regulation isn’t a blocker—it’s a catalyst for innovation. Like electricity, AI needs guardrails to scale safely and effectively.
- Law and tech must collaborate from the start. The EU AI Act is reshaping how companies approach compliance, ethics, and product development.
- Global AI capacity is dangerously concentrated. 90% of AI infrastructure is controlled by just two countries, raising sovereignty concerns.
- Language bias in AI is real and consequential. With 50% of the internet in English, cultural perspectives risk being lost in model training.
- Open-source AI tools empower—but also endanger. Democratized access means individuals can build powerful systems, for better or worse.

🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 AI for Good Global Summit – https://aiforgood.itu.int
👉 EU AI Act Overview – https://artificialintelligenceact.eu
👉 Centre for Trustworthy AI (Microsoft) – No direct URL mentioned, but referenced throughout
Book: Calling Bullsht: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World* – by Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West
👉 Song: “Boy in the Bubble” by Paul Simon – Inspiration for Andrew’s upcoming article

This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/717

What if your AI agent could not only retrieve facts but reason with them—just like a human? In this episode, Farzad Sunavala, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, takes us inside the world of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), the architecture powering the next wave of intelligent agents. From solving hallucinations to building memory into AI systems, Farzad shares practical insights for professionals looking to build scalable, high-quality AI solutions that actually work in the real world.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- RAG is foundational for AI agents: Retrieval-Augmented Generation solves key limitations of LLMs by grounding them in real-time, private data.
- Metadata is your best friend: Rich metadata and filtering techniques dramatically improve retrieval quality and reduce noise in enterprise AI systems.
- Memory is the next frontier: Embedding memory into agents—via tools like Semantic Kernel—enables learning, unlearning, and contextual recall.
- AI engineering is evolving fast: Developers must move beyond conventional software practices and embrace ML Ops, vector databases, and open-source frameworks.
- Start small, iterate smart: Building ground-truth datasets and synthetic Q&A pairs is a high-ROI strategy for evaluating and improving AI agent performance.

🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 Azure AI - https://ai.azure.com/
👉 Azure AI Search – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/search/search-what-is-azure-search or https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/ai-services/ai-search/
👉 Microsoft Fabric – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric
👉 Semantic Kernel (Open Source) – https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel
👉 LangChain – https://www.langchain.com/
👉 LlamaIndex – https://www.llamaindex.ai/
👉 CrewAI – https://www.crewai.com/

This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/716

What if your company’s AI journey didn’t start with data or tech—but with vision? In this episode, Erik David Johnson, Chief AI Officer at Delegate, shares how he’s helping organizations across Europe move from AI curiosity to concrete, production-ready solutions. With over 5,000 professionals trained and a hands-on workshop model that’s reshaping how businesses think about AI, Erik offers a rare blend of technical depth, strategic clarity, and regulatory insight. Whether you're building your first AI use case or navigating the EU AI Act, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- AI Strategy Starts with Vision, Not Data: Erik emphasizes that companies should define where they want to go before looking at the data they have—flipping the common “data-first” approach on its head.
- The 3-Day AI Ideation Workshop: A structured yet flexible sprint that helps organizations identify, qualify, and prioritize AI use cases—culminating in a roadmap and candidate architecture.
- Avoiding the “Tech-First” Trap: Erik warns against jumping straight to tools like ChatGPT or Azure AI without first addressing organizational, cultural, and user adoption barriers.
- AI Literacy is a Legal Requirement: Under the EU AI Act, companies must educate staff on AI. Erik shares how he's helping organizations meet this challenge through hands-on training and advisory roles.
- Legal and Regulatory Readiness: From advising Danish politicians to shaping national AI policy, Erik offers a unique perspective on how legal frameworks like the EU AI Act and ISO 42001 are reshaping the AI landscape.

🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 Delegate’s 3-Day AI Ideation Workshop – https://delegate.dk
👉 EU AI Act – https://artificialintelligenceact.eu
👉 ISO/IEC 42001 (AI Management Systems) – https://www.iso.org/standard/81230.html
👉 Erik’s Research and Writings – Available via his Computerworld Denmark column
👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7

This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

🎙FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/715

What happens when a mobile app becomes the only tool a field worker has to do their job—no manuals, no backup, just the device? In this episode, Jakub Bajla shares lessons from years of building mobile-first solutions for frontline workers. From offline-first design to modular tools like Forms+, Docs+, and Steps+, Jakub explores what it takes to deliver tech that performs in the toughest environments. Whether you're designing for remote teams, field service, or mission-critical operations, this episode is a masterclass in building for reliability, usability, and scale.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- ffline-first design is critical for field operations where connectivity is unreliable—Resco’s mobile solutions thrive in these environments.
- Resco’s evolution mirrors the Power Platform’s growth, transitioning from Dynamics-focused mobility to modular components for broader use cases.
- Forms+, Docs+, and Steps+ are powerful tools extracted from Resco’s platform, now available as standalone solutions for dynamic forms, PDF generation, and field knowledge sharing.
- ISV partnerships with Microsoft are complex, often misunderstood, and require strategic clarity to navigate shifting structures and limited support.

🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED
👉Resco – https://www.resco.net
👉 Microsoft Power Platform – https://powerplatform.microsoft.com
👉 Forms+, Docs+, Steps+ by Resco – Available via Resco’s Power Platform offerings

Note: Since the recording of this episode, there have been leadership changes at Resco, and the PCF component strategy discussed is no longer active. The conversation remains valuable for its broader insights into mobile-first design and field technology. For the latest updates, please check Resco’s official website.

This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/714

What if mastering Excel could unlock superhuman productivity? In this episode, Aleksandar Grasic—founder of Outliers and a three-time Microsoft MVP—shares how he helped over 300,000 professionals transform their workflows using AI-powered tools and structured data literacy. From slashing 8-hour tasks to 1-hour wins, Aleksandar reveals how combining Excel, Power BI, and Copilot can revolutionize how we work. Whether you're a tech leader or a data enthusiast, this conversation offers a roadmap to smarter, faster decision-making in the age of AI.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
Excel is still a powerhouse: Aleksandar explains how structured learning and tools like Power Query and Power Pivot can dramatically reduce time spent on data tasks.
AI as a productivity partner: Tools like Copilot and ChatGPT should be used to enhance—not replace—human expertise, especially in presentation and data analysis workflows.
Data literacy is essential: Increasing data literacy by even 30% across teams can significantly improve decision-making and adaptability in AI-driven environments.
Localized impact, global relevance: Outliers has educated over 300,000 professionals in the Balkan region, proving that regional language content can drive massive engagement.
Bridging users and developers: Aleksandar acts as a feedback conduit between Microsoft’s development teams and real-world users, influencing tools like Copilot in Word and Excel.

🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 Outliers Education Platform – https://outliers.rs
👉 Microsoft MVP Program – https://mvp.microsoft.com
👉 Microsoft Copilot – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot
👉 Power BI – https://powerbi.microsoft.com
👉 Power Query & Power Pivot in Excel – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel
👉Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7

This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/713

What happens when agile breaks down and AI steps in? In this episode, the hosts explore how traditional delivery models are being replaced by high-impact lab cycles, where elite engineering teams solve complex problems in just two weeks. From modernizing legacy systems to navigating the rise of autonomous developers, this conversation dives deep into the evolving tech landscape—and how AI is reshaping productivity, pricing models, and the future of work.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Lab Cycles vs. Agile: Agile is losing effectiveness in enterprise environments. Lab cycles offer a faster, outcome-driven alternative with production-ready results in two weeks.
- AI in App Modernization: AI is now capable of refactoring legacy codebases, even without full documentation—opening doors to modernizing systems like COBOL.
- M365 Copilot in Action: Real-world use cases show how Copilot dramatically reduces proposal creation time while improving accuracy and collaboration.
- The Rise of Autonomous Developers: Top-tier engineers are expected to own the full product lifecycle—from ideation to pricing—driven by soft skills and strategic thinking.
- AI’s Impact on Pricing Models: Professional services are rethinking pricing as AI slashes delivery time, creating new revenue opportunities and client value.

🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 Microsoft Power Platform – https://powerplatform.microsoft.com
👉 M365 Copilot – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot
👉 Microsoft Graph – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/overview
👉 AI for Good Conference – https://aiforgood.itu.int

This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/712

What if the future of work isn’t just faster—but fundamentally different? In this episode, Ryan Cunningham, Corporate VP of Microsoft Power Platform, returns to reflect on a decade of low-code evolution and the seismic shift AI is bringing to business applications. From the early days of Power Apps to the rise of intelligent agents, Ryan shares how organizations can rethink software, scale innovation, and prepare for a world where humans and AI build together. If you're leading digital transformation or shaping the future of enterprise tech, this conversation is your blueprint.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- AI is Reshaping Business Software: The next generation of apps won’t just be built faster—they’ll be co-created with AI agents, transforming how work gets done and who (or what) does it.
- From SaaS Sprawl to Platform Consolidation: Many companies are drowning in disconnected tools. Power Platform offers a path to simplify, consolidate, and reduce costs—while increasing agility.
- Digital Coworkers Are Here: AI agents are already taking on repetitive, low-value tasks. The future lies in designing systems where humans and agents collaborate seamlessly.
- Licensing and Value Are Evolving: As AI agents take on more work, traditional per-user licensing models are giving way to consumption-based models—mirroring Azure’s evolution.
- Iterate or Fall Behind: In a world of rapid change, being early and imperfect beats being late. Organizations must adopt a mindset of continuous experimentation and learning.

🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED:
👉 Build Keynote featuring Ryan - Ryan Cunningham: (8) Post | Feed | LinkedIn
👉 Unpacking the tech - https://youtu.be/PYZgUj8iTC4?feature=shared&t=4332
👉 Forrester Wave - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/blog/power-apps/microsoft-is-a-leader-in-2025-forrester-wave-low-code-platforms-for-professional-developers/
👉EPPC Keynote - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9mbhrcq-wQ
👉 Project Siena – The original internal name for what became Power Apps: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/premier-developer/microsoft-project-siena-create-a-windows-8-1-app-with-zero-lines-of-code/

This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith