In This Episode:
We sit down with Gabi Barragan—strategic advisor, organizational change whisperer, and the go-to for real talk about taming the AI beast in business. Gabi ditches the 'thought leader' theatrics and gets honest about what it really takes for companies to stop talking about AI adoption and actually get their hands dirty—without blowing the lunch budget on useless software.
She walks us through the mess and magic of wrangling data chaos, the power of fierce internal experimenters (yes, she thinks your employees are already using ChatGPT behind your back), and how a little skepticism can save you from a lot of "hot takes" gone sideways. There are plenty of eye-roll-worthy AI promises out there, but Gabi's here to call the bluff and offer a no-nonsense blueprint for culture change, customer engagement, and ROI that doesn't require a PhD (or a fortune teller).
What We Cover:
How to cut through AI FOMO and focus on what actually works (spoiler: most teams aren't ready for full-blown AI, and that's okay).
The critical role of curiosity and early adopters—plus how to unleash them without sending the C-suite into cardiac arrest.
Why your data is probably messier than your kitchen junk drawer, and what to do about it before you "go AI."
The underrated value of blunt customer feedback, behavior-based personas, and, yes, calling out industry nonsense where you see it.
Real talk about community, connection, and using AI to get back more of your actual life—not just your inbox.
Guest Bio:
Gabi Barragan is the quietly legendary operator behind the scenes of some of tech's sharpest AI rollouts and digital transformations. She specializes in helping companies turn noise into clarity, rally teams around smart experiments, and actually—gasp—listen to their employees and customers. When Gabi isn't advising boards or stirring the LinkedIn pot, you might catch her on Reddit sifting signal from noise or championing tools that make working smarter not just a slogan, but real-life sanity.
Enjoy! This show was brought to you by Wrench.ai
Follow Dan:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danbaird/
X: https://x.com/mrdanbaird
Follow Gabi:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielabarragan/
Follow the Pod:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@burnthemappodcast
Twitter/X: https://x.com/BurnTheMapPod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burnthemappodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burnthemappodcast
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/burnthemappodcast.bsky.social
Selected Links From This Episode:
Gabi Barragan on LinkedIn
Wrench.ai
People and Organizations Mentioned:
Gabi Barragan
Dan Baird
Wrench.ai
Show Notes & Timestamps:
00:02: Lightning round on AI news and the old-school "read, watch, listen" grind
00:12: On why AI LinkedIn posts are usually fluff and nobody wants to say it
00:20: The good, bad, and ugly of company AI adoption—employee edition
00:34: Data silos, dirty secrets from the world of CRMs, and why you should just stop (seriously)
00:41: How to actually make your new product launch not suck: the Gabi method
00:46: Why behavior-based personas are the only ones that matter (and why your legacy personas aren't cutting it)
