About this episode
In this special year-end episode of The Bridgecast, the tables turn as producer Gene Volpe steps in front of the camera to interview host Scott Kinka. It's the fourth annual wrap-up show, and this one delivers more than nostalgia—it's a strategic debrief on what 91,000 downloads and 26 episodes taught us about the state of enterprise technology in 2025.Gene walks through the numbers: 26 episodes, 29 companies represented, 34 executives interviewed, 11 live tapings, and over 91,000 downloads. But the real story isn't in the metrics—it's in what those conversations revealed. AI dominated the year (no surprise), but security ranked sixth on the buzzword list. Scott explains why: "We're beyond scaring people. Security needs to be an undercurrent, not a topic."The episode revisits three standout moments from 2025:Tim Sanders on the "butter analogy": AI isn't a silver bullet with an end-to-end use case—it's butter that makes every workflow faster and more enriched. Scott unpacks why this reframes the conversation from "AI replacing humans" to "AI supercharging humans."Tony Moroney on AI washing: Boards are pressuring executives to "do something with AI," leading to blind adoption without business outcomes. Scott adds a critical layer: IT leaders are rarely invited into line-of-business conversations, so how can they solve problems they don't even know exist?Michael Quince on the "mom test": If your AI solution feels confusing or impersonal, it's back to the drawing board. Scott translates this for non-technical audiences: "A stands for artificial. You're already interacting with AI every day—you just don't realize it."Scott also reflects on live events, the return of human interaction post-pandemic, and why 2026 will demand more from IT leaders than ever before. This isn't just a recap—it's a roadmap for navigating the next wave of transformation.What you will learn:Why AI ranked #1 but security ranked #6 on the year's top buzzwordsThe "butter analogy" that reframes how to think about AI in workflowsWhy IT leaders need to shift from plumbers to general contractorsHow shadow AI can be an enabler instead of a threatWhy asking "why" repeatedly is the most powerful leadership toolScott's predictions for 2026 and what enterprises are getting wrong about resilienceTo find out how Bridgepointe Technologies helps businesses make IT decisions faster with world-class engineering support and ongoing guidance, head to https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/ Episode Highlights:[08:52] Tim Sanders: The Original Online NetworkerScott geeks out about Ti
