Ultra-walking, AI flops, and the slow death (and rebirth) of design thinking. We unpack OpenAI's new Forward Deployed Engineer role, why 95% of enterprise AI projects stall, and how design lost its strategic seat. Plus: Toronto's suffer-fest walking trend, car UX done right (hello, 360° sensors), and a quick detour through travel chaos with kids. (Short alt:) Walking trends, failing AI rollouts, and why design must be more than pixels.
Topics & Timestamps:
(00:00) Post-vacation chaos & travel with kids
(01:32) Toronto's ultra-walking trend and "suffer-fest" culture
(04:02) Why 95% of enterprise AI projects fail (and why that stat is flawed)
(05:02) OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineer: new name, old consulting playbook
(10:42) How design thinking lost its strategic seat — from systems to pixel pushing
(14:10) Grassroots vs. enterprise AI: where real impact happens
(21:18) Side quests: car UX, sensors, and Italian road drama
Resources Mentioned:
• MIT's enterprise AI failure stat (context & critique)
• OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineer job description
• IDEO's legacy of design thinking
• Toronto Reddit ultra-walking stories
Key Quotes:
"Design thinking didn't die — it got downgraded to pixel pushing."
"If it's turnkey, it's repeatable. And if it's repeatable, AI can do it."
"These FDE roles feel like consulting 2.0 — but still too engineering-led."