The Analytics Engineering Podcast The pragmatic guide to AI agents in the enterprise (w/ Sean Falconer)
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Aug 3, 2025 
Sean Falconer, Senior Director of AI Strategy at Confluent, dives into the intriguing world of AI agents and their role in enterprise. He defines what makes software 'agentic' and explores its deployment challenges. Falconer shares insights on evolving from traditional models to dynamic agents, emphasizing the importance of data management for decision-making. He discusses the need for balance between autonomy and control for effective application in businesses, and highlights the critical skills necessary for successful AI team structures.
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Founder Forced Into Marketing Role
- Sean Falconer transitioned from hardcore engineering to sales and marketing out of necessity as a founder.
- This experience gave him deep respect and understanding of the go-to-market side of business.
Engineers Excel in Marketing Optimization
- Marketing's demand generation and funnel optimization align well with engineering skills and automation.
- Hire for creative marketing tasks; engineer-driven marketing suits optimization roles.
Three Waves of AI Explained
- AI development waves: purpose-built models, foundation models, agentic AI as software systems with decision-making ability.
- Agentic AI includes a "brain" plus tools and sensors to dynamically execute workflows.