S05E01 AI Transformation Beyond the Hype
Thu Jan 29 2026
Adrian Sanchez de la Sierra, Head of AI & Innovation at Zartis, explores AI transformation, reimagining systems beyond replacement, and building production-ready AI.
The Guest:
Adrian Sanchez de la Sierra, Head of AI & Innovation at Zartis, works at the intersection of research, product, and real-world delivery. His background is deliberately unconventional. From film production and education technology to data science and machine learning, Adrian has spent his career connecting problems with solutions, often before the discipline around them formally existed. Today, he focuses on helping Zartis and our clients move beyond AI demos; into reliable, production-ready systems that deliver sustained value.
As we kick off season 5 of the Story of Software, the conversation centres on what true AI transformation actually looks like. Rather than viewing AI as a tool to replace existing processes, Adrian argues that its real value comes from reimagining how organisations operate altogether - and we couldn't agree more!
Drawing on historical examples such as electricity, power grids, and industrial transformation, he frames AI as a general-purpose technology that requires new mental models, new organisational structures, and patience to unlock its full impact.
Some of the episode highlights include:
Why most organisations are still in the “replace” phase of AI adoption, and why reimagining systems is far harder but far more valuable.How historical technologies like electricity followed long, uneven paths before delivering transformational gains.
The hidden gap between perceived and actual expertise in building production-grade AI systems.Why prompt-based AI development often leads to fragile products that fail silently in production.How coding agents and AI tools for non-developers could unlock major organisational productivity gains.The importance of leadership commitment, long-term thinking, and the right KPIs for transformational AI initiatives.
Listen to the Story of Software on any podcast platform of your choice. The Story of Software Podcast is produced by Zartis, a software services company. We hope you enjoy listening to this tech podcast and feel free to share any feedback with us: podcast@zartis.com
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Adrian Sanchez de la Sierra, Head of AI & Innovation at Zartis, explores AI transformation, reimagining systems beyond replacement, and building production-ready AI. The Guest: Adrian Sanchez de la Sierra, Head of AI & Innovation at Zartis, works at the intersection of research, product, and real-world delivery. His background is deliberately unconventional. From film production and education technology to data science and machine learning, Adrian has spent his career connecting problems with solutions, often before the discipline around them formally existed. Today, he focuses on helping Zartis and our clients move beyond AI demos; into reliable, production-ready systems that deliver sustained value. As we kick off season 5 of the Story of Software, the conversation centres on what true AI transformation actually looks like. Rather than viewing AI as a tool to replace existing processes, Adrian argues that its real value comes from reimagining how organisations operate altogether - and we couldn't agree more! Drawing on historical examples such as electricity, power grids, and industrial transformation, he frames AI as a general-purpose technology that requires new mental models, new organisational structures, and patience to unlock its full impact. Some of the episode highlights include: Why most organisations are still in the “replace” phase of AI adoption, and why reimagining systems is far harder but far more valuable.How historical technologies like electricity followed long, uneven paths before delivering transformational gains. The hidden gap between perceived and actual expertise in building production-grade AI systems.Why prompt-based AI development often leads to fragile products that fail silently in production.How coding agents and AI tools for non-developers could unlock major organisational productivity gains.The importance of leadership commitment, long-term thinking, and the right KPIs for transformational AI initiatives. Listen to the Story of Software on any podcast platform of your choice. The Story of Software Podcast is produced by Zartis, a software services company. We hope you enjoy listening to this tech podcast and feel free to share any feedback with us: podcast@zartis.com