Innovation Snapshot

"Innovation is the ability to see what is and improve it, regardless of whether it is incremental or radical."

— Norman Wolfe, Author of The Living Organization

In today's lineup:

Robots

• The GenAI divide widens for enterprises

• Real ROI from Gen AI

• AI analytics showdown: n8n or Zapier? 

People 

• Apoorv Bhargava on the EV power challenge

Love

• How to turn AI pilots into payoffs

• Transformative Reads: The Innovator's Dilemma

Top Insights

• China's Nvidia crackdown escalates the AI chip war.

• Sora's rapid adoption signals faster AI disruption.

• $2B DeepMind spinout opens a new front in the AI race.

• New research shows LLMs can be easily poisoned.

• Jamie Dimon urges caution on the AI investment boom.

The GenAI divide widens for enterprises

While AI adoption has doubled in the last two years, with 40% of employees now using it at work, a stark "GenAI Divide" is emerging. A 2025 ISG report reveals that despite rapid integration, only one in four AI initiatives is achieving its expected ROI, as businesses struggle to move from widespread use to measurable value creation.

This performance gap highlights the difference between simply deploying tools and fundamentally rewiring operations for an AI-native future.

What leaders can do now:

• Shift focus from adoption metrics to value realization by tying AI initiatives directly to core business KPIs.

• Move beyond isolated use cases to orchestrate complex, cross-functional AI workflows.

• Invest in deep skills training that goes beyond basic prompt engineering to strategic AI application.

• Prioritize data infrastructure and governance to ensure AI models are fed high-quality, reliable information.

Real ROI from Gen AI

How human-centric AI delivers business results

• Morgan Stanley’s AI assistant gives 40,000 financial advisors instant answers, freeing them to focus on personalized client service.

• Abridge’s AI scribe summarizes patient visits in real-time, saving doctors three hours of daily paperwork to help reduce burnout.

• General Motors uses NVIDIA's AI platform to create "digital twins" of its factories, empowering its workforce to focus on craftsmanship and safety by virtually optimizing assembly lines.

Tool Spotlight

Your weekly briefing on tools that create competitive leverage

n8n or Zapier? Here's your workflow automation guide

n8n 

Best for: Technical teams and enterprises needing a flexible, source-available platform for complex, custom workflow automation and data integration. Choose if you:

• Need to self-host for enhanced data security and control.

• Require powerful, node-based logic for multi-step, conditional workflows.

• Prioritize developer-friendly features and extensibility. 

P.S. Just this week, n8n announced a $180 million Series C funding round, signaling major investment in its product roadmap and community support. This solidifies its position as a key enterprise player in the automation space. 

Zapier 

Best for: Business teams seeking a simple, no-code way to connect thousands of apps and automate routine tasks quickly. Choose if you:

• Need the largest library of pre-built app integrations available.

• Prioritize ease of use and rapid setup for non-technical users.

• Want a fully managed, cloud-based solution for straightforward automations. 

3 more automation platforms to explore...

• Make offers a powerful visual canvas for designing intricate, multi-step automations.

• Workato automates complex business processes across enterprise apps and APIs.

• Microsoft Power Automate deeply integrates with Microsoft 365 and Azure for enterprise automation.

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Transformation Champion

Apoorv Bhargava future-proofs power grids for the EV revolution

The WeaveGrid CEO and co-founder transforms electric vehicles into smart energy resources by bridging the critical trust gap between automakers and utilities. His AI software platform intelligently manages EV charging, syncing it with times of low grid demand to prevent blackouts. This approach has attracted strategic investments from automotive giants like Toyota and Hyundai, validating his role as an essential enablement platform for a stable, efficient, and green energy transition without costly infrastructure overhauls.

Bhargava says, "A big part of why we chose to bring on OEM partners is because we believe that the utility industry needs to collaborate more closely with the automotive industry. It’s not going to happen naturally."

How to turn AI pilots into payoffs

Impressive AI pilots often die after the demo, celebrated in the boardroom but never delivering real-world value. To avoid this innovation theater, treat a successful pilot as the starting point for true integration.

Here’s how to scale your wins:

1. Start with a real problem, not a cool tool.

2. Build for integration, not isolation.

3. Design for your people, not just the technology.

I break down the full framework in my latest article.

Transformative Reads

One book, handpicked from my conversations with friends, industry leaders, and tech innovators:

Rubicon by Tom Holland is a masterful historical narrative that demonstrates how power, ambition, and calculated risk-taking create irreversible moments of transformation, offering timeless insights into leadership, political strategy, and the delicate balance between order and chaos.

Perfect for: Political leaders, executives, historians, and strategists seeking to understand how pivotal decisions shape the course of empires and organizations.

In Culture

Here's something to laugh about this week.

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