Enterprise Thought Leadership Eps.73 | The body and the brain: Tray.ai's CEO Rich Waldron on building agentic workflows for the enterprise
Tim Bond speaks with Rich Waldron, CEO of Tray.ai, who since 2012 has been building the infrastructure that allows AI agents to truly operate within enterprises. Rich explains the difference between AI's reasoning capabilities (the brain) and its ability to take action across systems (the body), and why this distinction matters for organisations implementing agentic technologies.
The conversation explores why 60% of early AI projects fail, the importance of specialised agents over "everything agents", and how companies can avoid common pitfalls. Rich shares insights from over a decade of connecting 800+ applications and databases, revealing what separates successful implementations from costly failures.
Key topics covered:
• Understanding the body and brain concept in AI agents
• Why specialised agents outperform generalised ones
• Design principles for avoiding hallucinations
• Building cross-functional teams for AI success
• The shift from traditional software to constantly evolving agents
• The opportunities for young professionals to build our agentic future
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction to agentic workflows
00:01:49 Rich's journey from university to founding Tray.ai
00:05:38 Early recognition of AI's potential
00:07:48 What is an integration platform as a service (IPaaS)?
00:11:31 The body and brain concept explained
00:14:39 Tools vs knowledge in agent design
00:19:21 Over 800 connectors and growing
00:22:15 Human-in-the-loop considerations
00:25:01 Addressing hallucinations in business processes
00:31:00 Getting started with agentic implementation
00:38:00 Growth strategy and market approach
00:42:47 Competitive advantages and future outlook
00:45:11 Advice for young professionals entering the workforce
Want to learn more?
Visit Tray.ai's website: https://tray.ai
Connect with Rich Waldron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwaldron/
Connect with Tim Bond: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tngbond/
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