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Microsoft Innovation Podcast

Microsoft Innovation Podcast

By: Mark Smith [nz365guy]
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If you want to get your ideas or questions featured on an episode, please leave us a voicemail: https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/voicemail/


Dive into the future of work with the "Microsoft Innovation Podcast," exploring the intersection of People, Business, Technology, and AI.

Engage with expert guests—including thought leaders from Microsoft, industry innovators, and community specialists—who are redefining the world with advancements in AI, Cloud technologies, the Power Platform, Dynamics 365, and beyond.

Every episode delivers a blend of in-depth discussions, practical insights, and actionable strategies tailored for professionals driving enablement and innovation.

Join us across our five shows:

  1. The Power Platform Show
  2. The MVP Show
  3. The Copilot Show
  4. The Ecosystems Show
  5. The AI Advantage (coming soon)
© 2025 Mark Smith - Cloverbase Ltd.
Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • Why AI Needs Knowledge Management to Succeed
    Jun 25 2025

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

    🎙️ FULL SHOW NOTES
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/701

    What happens when AI meets the messy, human world of organizational knowledge? In this episode, Rebecka Isaksson—Microsoft MVP and knowledge management strategist—unpacks how AI can finally unlock the elusive value of tacit knowledge. From SharePoint sprawl to the power of communities of practice, Rebecka shares hard-won insights on transforming content chaos into enterprise intelligence. Whether you're navigating Microsoft 365 or scaling AI in your organization, this conversation will change how you think about knowledge, governance, and impact.

    🔑KEY TAKEAWAYS
    AI needs knowledge management: Without governance and lifecycle thinking, AI can’t deliver sustainable value in enterprise environments.
    Tacit knowledge is the real gold: AI tools like Microsoft Copilot can now surface insights from informal conversations, chats, and communities—not just documents.
    SharePoint’s hidden risks: Without role-based access control (RBAC), SharePoint can become a security and governance liability in AI-driven organizations.
    Communities of practice scale expertise: Platforms like Microsoft Engage (not just Yammer) are critical for capturing and sharing real-time, experience-based knowledge.
    Governance must evolve: Organizations need to move from content management to true knowledge management—governing not just files, but conversations, videos, and more.

    🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED
    👉 Microsoft 365 Copilot – AI-powered productivity assistant: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/microsoft-365/copilot
    👉 Knowledge Fika - https://open.spotify.com/show/0X7STHKKiIEEj1nrd9hvQa?si=d6fd17b395f749ec
    👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7

    This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

    Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

    We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

    Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • The 3 AI Mindsets Disrupting Tech Today
    Jun 24 2025

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

    🎙️FULL SHOW NOTES
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/700

    In this episode, Mark and Andrew dive deep into the shifting mindsets shaping the future of AI in business and tech. From building a personal AI-powered second brain to exploring the rise of “vibe coding,” they unpack the tools, tensions, and transformations redefining how professionals engage with technology. Whether you're an AI optimist, skeptic, or somewhere in between, this conversation challenges assumptions and offers a grounded look at where innovation is headed—and how to stay ahead of it.

    🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
    The 3 AI Mindsets: Explore the “Optimists,” “Deniers,” and the “Angry Camp”—and how each group is reacting to the rapid evolution of AI.
    Vibe Coding Explained: Why AI-assisted development is the new normal, and how tools like GitHub Copilot are changing the way we build software.
    Building a Second Brain with AI: Mark shares a thought experiment on creating a multi-agent AI system to manage personal knowledge, security, and optimization.
    The FrontPage to Squarespace Analogy: A compelling comparison of early web development tools to today’s AI-assisted platforms—and what it means for modern developers.
    Why Familiarity Beats Flash: A case for investing time in mastering tools like Microsoft Copilot, even if they seem underwhelming at first.

    🧰RESOURCES MENTIONED
    👉 GitHub Copilot – AI pair programming tool: https://github.com/features/copilot
    👉 Microsoft 365 Copilot – Enterprise AI assistant: https://microsoft.cloud
    👉 VS Code – Visual Studio Code editor: https://code.visualstudio.com

    This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

    Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

    We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

    Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • Why AI Fails Without Clean Data
    Jun 23 2025

    Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

    🎙FULL SHOW NOTES
    https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/699

    What if the key to unlocking AI’s full potential isn’t more algorithms—but better data? In this episode, Harley Webster, founder of Amagi and Power BI lead, shares how his journey from geologist to data strategist shaped his obsession with clean, actionable data. From managing petabytes of oilfield data in Qatar to helping modern businesses unify fragmented systems, Harley reveals why data quality is the real foundation of AI success—and how Microsoft Fabric is changing the game. If you're navigating the intersection of business, AI, and data engineering, this conversation is a must-listen.

    🔑KEY TAKEAWAYS
    Data Quality is Non-Negotiable for AI: Harley emphasizes that without clean, governed, and well-modeled data, AI outputs are unreliable—no matter how advanced the model.
    Microsoft Fabric is a Game-Changer: Fabric’s unified platform simplifies data engineering, enabling real-time pipelines, medallion architecture (bronze, silver, gold layers), and seamless integration with Power BI.
    Start with Business Outcomes, Not Data Inventory: Harley’s approach is to define the top KPIs first, then trace back to the data sources—ensuring focus and ROI from day one.
    Common Language is Critical in M&A: When merging data from different systems or companies, aligning terminology and definitions is essential to avoid misinterpretation and ensure accurate reporting.
    ROI from Data Projects is Tangible: From automating manual reporting to protecting market share, Harley outlines how to quantify the business value of data initiatives—even in complex environments.

    🧰 RESOURCES MENTIONED
    👉 Microsoft Fabric – Unified data platform for engineering, analytics, and visualization: https://fabric.microsoft.com
    👉 Power BI – Business intelligence and data visualization tool: https://powerbi.microsoft.com
    👉 Dataflow Gen2 – Web-based data transformation tool in Microsoft Fabric
    👉 `Natasha’s Foundation – UK charity supporting food allergy awareness: https://www.narf.org.uk
    👉 VWS Software – Waste management software provider in the UK: https://www.vwssoftware.com

    This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

    Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge

    We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.

    Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!

    Support the show

    If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

    Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
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