
Where AI Meets the Real World of Work

AI at Work is hosted by Elijah Szasz (CEO of SPARK6) and Kevin Williams (CEO of Ascend Labs). Each week delivers actionable insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping jobs today, and how you can use it to advance your career. We unpack real-world tools, automation workflows, and emerging roles so you can stop chasing hype and start using AI to get things done. Whether you’re an individual contributor, team lead, or business owner, we show you what to build, what to ask for, and what to look for in a workplace moving at machine-speed.
Most people heard “Claude Code” and assumed it was a developer tool. Kevin Williams and Matt Graham from Rapid Dev are here to correct that assumption and explain why the goal-oriented loop logic at the core of Claude Code might be the most underused productivity feature available to business leaders right now.
This conversation started with a weekend of building and a realization: the same recursive, self-correcting loop that hardens software can harden a marketing plan, a strategic brief, or a financial analysis. The name was always the problem, not the tool.
Kevin and Matt also get into the hacker house model how Rapid Dev gets more done in two focused weeks than two unfocused months and what happened when Kevin spent two days at a Los Angeles dining room table taking a high-end fashion brand from zero AI literacy to a functioning chief-of-staff agent.
The episode covers the awkward middle most organizations are stuck in: past individual AI use, not yet at production-grade systems, and not quite sure how to close the gap. And with recent regulatory pressure on AI providers and real questions about vendor stability, they get practical about fallback architectures and what it actually means to build on a foundation that might shift.
✅ Why Claude Code is not a coding tool and what it actually does
✅ How /goal changes the quality and depth of any AI output
✅ The hacker house model: structure, composition, and expected outcomes
✅ The journey from individual AI use to organizational AI systems
✅ Vendor risk, provider instability, and the case for multi-model fallback
✅ Why organizational friction outlasts every technical solution
Check out Kevin’s stuff:
→ Ascend Labs: https://ascendlabs.ai/
→ Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: / kevinguywilliams
→ Get practical AI guidance: https://assessment.ascendlabs.ai/
→ Book a consultation: http://tidycal.com/kevinwilliams
Check out Matt’s stuff:
→ mailto:[email protected]
→ / rapid-dev

Latest episodes
Most Favorite Pods
AI & Future of Work
Episode #9
Why Some Early Adopters of AI Are So Stressed (The Busywork Paradox)
Elijah and Kevin explore AI's impact on work, the stress of constant high-stakes decisions, the difference between dev tools and app builders, and why cross-checking AI outputs is the new baseline skill.
AI at Work
Brooklyn Simmons
AI & Productivity
Episode #13
AI Ads, the Era of Zero-Click, and NotebookLM Upgrades
Elijah and Kevin discuss why more context can hurt AI outputs, how NotebookLM and Gemini Gems work better together, practical tips for curating AI workflows, and how a zero-click future could reshape advertising and sales.
AI at Work
AI Ads, the Era of Zero...
AI & Technology
Episode #11
Her vs. Iron Man: Why the Future of Work Has No Screens
Elijah Szasz & Kevin Williams explore AI's societal impact, emotional risks, audio interfaces, business tools like Claude Cowork, data security concerns, and the future of CRM systems.
AI at Work
Her vs. Iron Man...
Read more
Why We Created This Podcast
Our mission is to help professionals navigate the fast-evolving world of AI with clarity and confidence.
These conversations go beyond theory we speak with the people implementing AI across businesses, education, and public sectors.
Each episode gives you practical insights you can apply today.
Our Team
Meet Our Host
Kevin Williams
AI Advisor and Trainer of Leaders | Investor, Builder, Speaker, Executive Coach
Featured episodes
block description
podcast description
EP 51
How to start your own business?
EP 51
How to start your own business?
EP 51
How to start your own business?
Featured Podcast
podcast name


Ep #31 Is Your Brain Worth Building or Should You Just Buy Glean?
Featured Podcast
podcast name
podcast description
EP 51
How to start your own business?
EP 51
How to start your own business?
EP 51
How to start your own business?
Stay tuned
Stay informed with the latest insights, product updates, and upcoming webinar announcements — straight to your inbox
