In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Neil Marley, CEO of Neologik, to unpack why so many mid-market companies are stuck in AI pilot purgatory — and what it actually takes to break through to real transformation. Neil shares how an early encounter with ChatGPT convinced him that AI would reshape information worker roles and that mid-market companies, more agile than large enterprises but more resource-constrained, stood to gain the most from moving fast. He explains why governance and scaffolding matter as much as automation — because businesses need reliable, auditable outcomes, not just impressive demos — and how Neologik is already deploying compliance and workflow agents for banks and construction firms in days rather than months. Neil then lays out the five reasons AI initiatives stall before delivering ROI: treating AI as a tech project instead of a business transformation, poor leadership communication, wrong use case selection, death-by-committee planning, and the false comfort of simply buying an AI tool. He closes with a forward-looking take on how AI will re-aggregate enterprise software, threatening single-purpose SaaS vendors while empowering companies to build fully customized workflow solutions on demand. His bottom line: the future is human-first, AI-enabled — and the companies that get there fastest will be the ones that stop piloting and start transforming.If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review - Apple or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices