🚀 Just wrapped up MidWestCon in Cincinnati, a conference all about AI.
Here are some of my takeaways:
Tools like ChatGPT Builder and Lovable make it simple to spin up bots. If you don’t want a bot to elaborate, set the temperature to 0.
Going to market means tackling data security and training data challenges head-on.
A Zoom exec described how C-suite leaders now have personal Small Language Models that triage non-critical emails, attend meetings, and report back — freeing humans to focus on higher-order thinking.
But, as he said: “AI won’t fix dysfunctional organizations. Start with small wins.”
I especially enjoyed hearing Imamu Tomlinson share how he scaled a healthcare software company from $300M to $1.5B, and his book Less Than One Percent about how disruptors achieve extraordinary results.
It made me reflect on my own experiments. I fed all the building plans, audits, and energy data for Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center into Gemini Advanced and asked it to explain the HVAC system. It did — clearly and accurately. I shared it with Heapy Engineering as my vision of the future: facility managers being able to talk to their building. That idea still excites me… maybe a startup seed. 🌱
Most people I met at the conference were focused on optimizing corporate processes. I felt a bit like a fish out of water, sharing the two books I co-wrote with AI about sailing across the Atlantic and going to Burning Man. One woman said: “Boy, you like to do some adventurous things!” 🌊🔥☁️
She’s right — I’ve used AI less for optimization and more for creativity, fun, and self-discovery. After 45 years running an ad agency and surviving the age of the computer and the internet, I’m glad I don’t have to navigate AI in marketing. But I do love exploring what happens when you invite AI to dream, pretend, and imagine with you.
📖 Free books I shared at the conference:
Dream Pretend Imagine (sailing with an AI crew) → https://lnkd.in/gPfcbfZB
Curiouser & Curiouser (Burning Man with AI companions) → https://lnkd.in/gmBCanzg
I shared my rough notes with ChatGPT and he wrote this summary for me.