Lighting the Path to your Agentic AI Journey with Hanah Darley | Episode #0026
Start Small, Think Big - A podcast and newsletter that guides you on your AI and Automation journey.Show Notes
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Thank you to Hanah Darley, and check out geordie.ai.
Summary In this episode of the Start Small Think Big podcast, hosts Brad and Robert welcome Hannah Darley, Chief AI Officer at Geordie AI. The conversation explores Hannah's unique background in government intelligence, her transition to the tech industry, and the founding of Geordie AI. They discuss the challenges of AI adoption, the importance of understanding agentic AI, and the balance between innovation and risk management. Hannah shares insights on building a strong founding team, creating a positive company culture, and the significance of customer-centric product development. The episode concludes with rapid-fire questions and personal insights from Hannah about leadership and the journey of launching Geordie AI.
Keywords AI, agentic AI, Geordie AI, innovation, cybersecurity, risk management, startup culture, product development, team building, leadership
Takeaways Hannah Darley has a unique background in government intelligence and data analytics. AI adoption requires trust and visibility to be successful. Understanding the specific problem to solve is crucial before deploying AI agents. Agentic AI represents a shift in how businesses operate, requiring new governance frameworks. Building a strong founding team is essential for startup success. Diversity of thought enhances problem-solving capabilities. The journey of launching a product involves continuous learning and adaptation. Establishing a positive company culture fosters collaboration and innovation. Customer-centric product development is key to addressing real business needs. Risk management is vital when implementing AI solutions.
Titles Navigating the Future of AI with Geordie The Journey of AI Innovation
Sound Bites "You can learn to be technical." "Eat the frog first." "Agents are the future of work."
Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests 01:44 Hannah Darley's Unique Background and Experience 04:08 Government Work and Its Challenges 08:53 The Vision Behind Geordie AI 11:32 Understanding Agentic AI 14:15 Balancing Risk with Agentic AI 17:18 Assembling the Geordie Team 27:22 Customer-Centric Approach to AI Solutions 30:04 Trends in Agentic AI Adoption 35:18 The Future of Decision-Making in AI 37:04 Building Partnerships with Clients 38:56 The Future of SaaS and AI Solutions 41:47 Understanding AI Adoption and Governance 45:43 The Role of Security in AI Implementation 49:31 Key Questions for AI Deployment 51:33 The Geordie Story: Illuminating Risks in AI 01:01:59 Reflections on Launching Geordie 01:05:38 The Future of AI Agents and Their Impact 01:07:36 The End
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AI can help you finish the work. It cannot take responsibility for whether the work is right. Doug Gabbard, Principal Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft and the creator behind Practicing Photography, joins Brad Groux and Robert Groux to talk about using AI where it actually helps: learning unfamiliar creative tools, finding buried knowledge, improving scripts, and turning experience into better requirements. Doug shares how he uses screenshots to get help in Photoshop and Lightroom, builds agents around departmental SharePoint knowledge, and brings engineering discipline to his photography workflow. We also get into the limits: confident wrong answers, missing security requirements, the future of entry-level learning, and why people skills still matter. The question to take back to your next project: What did I miss? Takeaways Start with a real task you understand, not a tool you want an excuse to use. Give AI the relevant context: source material, desired outcome, constraints, and what failure looks like. A script that runs is not automatically secure, scalable, or ready for other people to use. Ask for criticism and missing requirements, then check the response against evidence. Use AI to repurpose your own ideas without handing over your point of view. Keep learning the fundamentals—and learn to explain them to people. Resources discussed Microsoft Adobe Photoshop Adobe Lightroom ChatGPT Gemini Claude Microsoft Copilot SharePoint Backblaze Azure Blob Storage Synology n8n Supabase OpenClaw PowerShell Microsoft Sentinel Microsoft Agent Builder quick start (PDF) Follow Doug Practicing Photography YouTube LinkedIn Follow Start Small, Think Big Find the podcast, newsletter, and our other channels: https://linktr.ee/digitalmeld More episodes and articles: https://digitalmeld.io/podcast/ Recorded February 19, 2026. Product availability, pricing, and policies discussed reflect the conversation at that time. Doug shares his own experience; this is not an official Microsoft product announcement. Recorded and edited using Riverside — https://go.sstb.ai/riverside (affiliate link). Affiliate disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. Digital Meld may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.
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