Episode Summary
Todd and Brian review their 2025 predictions about AI adoption, venture capital, and technology trends, then discuss 2026 forecasts. They explore how AI agents are transforming software development, the shift from SaaS models to custom automation, and emerging opportunities in local manufacturing and rapid business creation enabled by AI tools.
Key Quotes
"We've been installing the AI light bulbs the past two years, but the bigger companies are building these automations, these big machines—factory assembly lines leveraging LLM and practical AI. That's going to help us get out of the trough of disillusionment."
"I can have you in business in ten days or less, sometimes two hours, with a domain name and AI in AWS. It's not vibe coded—I have very strong preferences as a CTO with decades of experience on how I want stuff built."
"The story in 2026 isn't intelligence related. It's alignment. Technology has moved faster than institutions, companies, and people. We've got to catch up now."
Transcript
Okay. Hi, welcome to Tales from the Sky Lounge. It's a podcast about business, consulting, and venture investing. We get out there in the world, we talk to people who are making it happen, and we get their stories. And this podcast episode is a special dual broadcast with awithbri.com. Brian Deadstat. Hey, Brian. Welcome back. It's been another year in a kind of crazy year. How have you been? What's been going on in your world?
Yeah, Todd, thanks for having me back. This is a blast to be back. I can't believe it's been a year and we haven't done a podcast since then, really. And gosh, so much has changed. So much is growing and going on. And I'm just excited to be back to unpack how 2025 went and look at 2026 with you.
It really is crazy, isn't it? Well, how do you want to start? Do you want to look at our last year's predictions here and see how we did and then maybe kind of look forward?
Absolutely. I mean, I've got a burning topic to jump into, but let's maybe look through the predictions first, pull out the magic envelope, and let's see how we did last year.
Yeah. And then we'll get to your topic right after we kind of see how we did. We used AI to score. So first, the things we absolutely nailed. I don't know if we nailed all this stuff or it's more subtle than that. Okay, so we talked about the AI trough of disillusionment. We said we're going to hit an AI trough of disillusionment. Boy, did we ever. And then, particularly generative AI, is what we're talking about here. I'm starting to call it practical AI. I feel like both of us are kind of through the trough and then well up the other side. And then there's this weird haves and have nots that's happening. I don't know how you feel about that or what you're seeing in your clients' lives.
Want to go deeper?
Work With MeRelated Episodes
Ep41 Bryan Dennstedt of AIWithBry—2026 Trends: Trust in AI, Healthcare, College, AGI & more
Todd and Bryan Dennstedt review their 2025 AI predictions and discuss 2026 trends including agentic AI workflows, SaaS pricing disruption, trust verification systems, and the transformation of software development through AI-powered rapid prototyping. They explore how AI is enabling low-capital entrepreneurship, challenging traditional venture models, and requiring fundamental shifts in business planning and execution.
Ep27 Jeff Haynie—The Rise of Agentic Systems and AI-Driven Dev
Jeff Haynie, serial entrepreneur and founder of Appcelerator (Titanium), discusses his journey from pioneering JavaScript mobile development in 2006 to launching Agentuity, an AI agent cloud platform. He shares insights on Silicon Valley's unique ecosystem, the evolution of software development, and his belief that AI agents will fundamentally transform cloud infrastructure from human-centric to agent-optimized systems.
Ep45 John Church: Crypto Grows Up: Building at the Intersection of Blockchain and AI
John Church, lead product manager at Nethermind and adjunct professor at Duke University, discusses his journey from DAO leadership to institutional blockchain work. The conversation covers stablecoins, zero-knowledge cryptography, the intersection of AI and blockchain, and how crypto is maturing from speculative technology to institutional infrastructure. Church emphasizes the importance of fundamental understanding as AI transforms software development and entrepreneurship.