Ex-Google Chief Evangelist: 90% of Companies Optimize AI Wrong

2026-04-09 · 55 min · episode 428 · 16 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

→ references Sequoia Not Bonsai Successful Companies Ebook book

0.77

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Ex-Google Chief Evangelist: 90% of Companies Optimize AI Wrong": https://amazon.com/Sequoia-Not-Bonsai-Successful-Companies-ebook/dp/B0F1FGZPRV?crid=36YO93Z6HG02U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wCuIrasbJyV5tbtYSLcho6mDopiskdrof37VhvU9uoEGPYdyJxclaEWRvH8gY2KG9No5JaDUEpbin5Jwz3oihkLKzOaNlEu17tXPm69GZ49_c7j3vyOeSX-J-lVYvD9VUkr-LYlOtlmo4LqWvOvehEkrsWGp38pD17ZNc2lVLc4aeWYPPL0JTPyqtUG7H_QjJkG1TMZYSI…
→ authored Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai book

0.62

evidence rules-v5
author of "Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai."
→ hosted by Ryan Hanley person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Ryan Hanley
→ discusses Business company

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business
→ discusses Education concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Education
→ discusses Entrepreneurship website

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Entrepreneurship
→ discusses Self-Improvement concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Self-Improvement
→ references unpluggedstudios.fm website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Ex-Google Chief Evangelist: 90% of Companies Optimize AI Wrong": https://unpluggedstudios.fm./

Entities found in this episode

books 4

mentioned Sequoia Not Bonsai Successful Companies Ebook book

0.90

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Ex-Google Chief Evangelist: 90% of Companies Optimize AI Wrong": https://amazon.com/Sequoia-Not-Bonsai-Successful-Companies-ebook/dp/B0F1FGZPRV?crid=36YO93Z6HG02U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wCuIrasbJyV5tbtYSLcho6mDopiskdrof37VhvU9uoEGPYdyJxclaEWRvH8gY2KG9No5JaDUEpbin5Jwz3oihkLKzOaNlEu17tXPm69GZ49_c7j3vyOeSX-J-lVYvD9VUkr-LYlOtlmo4LqWvOvehEkrsWGp38pD17ZNc2lVLc4aeWYPPL0JTPyqtUG7H_QjJkG1TMZYSI…
references Sequoia Not Bonsai Successful Companies Ebook book

0.77

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Ex-Google Chief Evangelist: 90% of Companies Optimize AI Wrong": https://amazon.com/Sequoia-Not-Bonsai-Successful-Companies-ebook/dp/B0F1FGZPRV?crid=36YO93Z6HG02U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wCuIrasbJyV5tbtYSLcho6mDopiskdrof37VhvU9uoEGPYdyJxclaEWRvH8gY2KG9No5JaDUEpbin5Jwz3oihkLKzOaNlEu17tXPm69GZ49_c7j3vyOeSX-J-lVYvD9VUkr-LYlOtlmo4LqWvOvehEkrsWGp38pD17ZNc2lVLc4aeWYPPL0JTPyqtUG7H_QjJkG1TMZYSI…
mentioned Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai book

0.72

evidence rules-v5
author of "Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai."
authored Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai book

0.62

evidence rules-v5
author of "Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai."

concepts 4

mentioned Education concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Education
mentioned Self-Improvement concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Self-Improvement
discusses Education concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Education
discusses Self-Improvement concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Self-Improvement

websites 4

mentioned Entrepreneurship website

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Entrepreneurship
mentioned unpluggedstudios.fm website

0.45

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Ex-Google Chief Evangelist: 90% of Companies Optimize AI Wrong": https://unpluggedstudios.fm./
discusses Entrepreneurship website

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Entrepreneurship
references unpluggedstudios.fm website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "Ex-Google Chief Evangelist: 90% of Companies Optimize AI Wrong": https://unpluggedstudios.fm./

persons 2

mentioned Ryan Hanley person

0.70

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Ryan Hanley
hosted by Ryan Hanley person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Ryan Hanley

companys 2

mentioned Business company

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business
discusses Business company

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business

Episode description as stored

I help founders & executives generating more than $1M in revenue find their Easy Mode. Start here: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKaYO5Hy5LI&feature=youtu.be If you are using AI to optimize for conversion rate, return on ad spend, or time-to-hire, you are pointing a self-driving car at the wrong address. And it’s going to take you there really, really fast. In this episode of Finding Peak, I sit down with Nicolas Darveau-Garneau, former Chief Evangelist at Google and author of "Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai." Nicolas has advised over 1,000 CEOs on digital transformation, and his conclusion is staggering: 90% of companies are optimizing the wrong KPIs. We break down the $15 Billion mistake companies make with AI, why Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is the only metric that actually matters, and how a simple mindset shift helped a local gym owner turn a $200K business into a $1.2M powerhouse without adding more members. Whether you run a Fortune 500 company or a Main Street bakery, this conversation will completely change how you deploy AI in your business. In this episode, we cover: 👉 The $15 Billion AI mistake most companies are making right now 👉 Why optimizing for conversion rate is killing your long-term profit 👉 How to use AI to predict the future (and why you must get comfortable with forecasts) 👉 The exact strategy a gym owner used to 6x his business by targeting 55-year-olds 👉 How to build a limitless testing organization that your competitors can't catch 👉 Why brand building is no longer just for massive corporations ** Connect with Nicolas Darveau-Garneau ** LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickdg/ Book: Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai: https://www.amazon.com/Sequoia-Not-Bonsai-Successful-Companies-ebook/dp/B0F1FGZPRV?crid=36YO93Z6HG02U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wCuIrasbJyV5tbtYSLcho6mDopiskdrof37VhvU9uoEGPYdyJxclaEWRvH8gY2KG9No5JaDUEpbin5Jwz3oihkLKzOaNlEu17tXPm69GZ49_c7j3vyOeSX-J-lVYvD9VUkr-LYlOtlmo4LqWvOvehEkrsWGp38pD17ZNc2lVLc4aeWYPPL0JTPyqtUG7H_QjJkG1TMZYSIg-V2Q1eZmL64xRxn-RBpVfa0Q-kPUb8OA.4TJcfQDO3WsBF0PM_rhD_GNuKKcraPrsB2qE7ttf8Mk&dib_tag=se&keywords=Be+a+Sequoia,+Not+a+Bonsai&qid=1775824569&sprefix=be+a+sequoia,+not+a+bonsai,aps,144&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl2&tag=findingpeak-20&linkId=e32befae886ef27dd872bba600196488&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm. Full transcript, clips, and more: https://ryanhanley.com/podcast/ex-google-chief-evangelist-why-90-of-companies-are-optimizing-ai-for-the-wrong-thing Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.