Give First AI First Leaders | Andy Sack & Adam Brotman on Scaling with the AI Wave
Sep 23, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Andy Sack, a longtime Techstars managing director and co-CEO of Forum3, and Adam Brotman, former Chief Digital Officer at Starbucks, shed light on an AI-driven future. They share insights on being an 'AI-native' founder and the significance of iteration and prompting in entrepreneurship. The duo emphasizes how AI can empower small teams to achieve massive productivity gains, highlighting its potential to create billion-dollar companies. They also discuss the essential skills for the workforce of tomorrow in a rapidly evolving landscape.
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Forum 3 Pivoted To AI
- Andy and Adam formed Forum 3 to help consumer brands with digital transformation and later pivoted to focus on AI after ChatGPT's arrival.
- They integrated AI into their advisory and software services, reshaping their business offering quickly.
AI Is The New Foundational Layer
- Andy calls the arrival of advanced LLMs a "holy shit" moment that reframes how companies are built.
- He argues AI First is the right frame because AI will be the foundational layer like internet or mobile.
Treat AI As Personal Augmentation
- Use AI as an individual augmentation, like an Ironman suit, to boost every knowledge worker's output.
- Focus on changing workflows across functions rather than only building isolated AI applications.
