Episode 44 - Moonshot Solution using AI with Peter Ward

Microsoft Community Insights Podcast

We sit down with Peter Ward to decode how real moonshot solutions are built at the intersection of clean data, practical AI, and unapologetically human design. From Copilot adoption to rethinking org charts, we connect the dots between cost, capability, and cultural change to show where the next wave of value will emerge.
We start by reframing the Copilot debate. The £30‑a‑month question isn’t the point; the outcome is. Peter shares how teams translate AI into measurable time savings, faster delivery, and better decisions, while addressing the quiet blockers: messy data, limited access, and incentives that favour stasis. We dig into the shift already visible in hiring data—entry roles thinning, mid‑senior roles holding—and why career growth now rests on a new metric: innovation density, the number of high‑value outcomes you can ship by orchestrating AI agents.

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1. Setting The Stage: AI Moonshots (00:00:00)

2. Meet Peter Ward And Format (00:01:09)

3. Defining Moonshot Solutions (00:02:15)

4. Copilot Adoption And ROI Pushback (00:03:45)

5. Data As The New Oil (00:06:45)

6. Career Roots And SharePoint Era (00:08:35)

7. Moonshot Examples Beyond Tech (00:10:05)

8. Technology Waves And Work Impact (00:12:40)

9. Remote Work, Cities, And Commerce (00:17:20)

10. Smartphones, Video, And Global Teams (00:22:20)

11. Work Vs Home Tools And Agents (00:26:00)

12. CFO Skepticism And Cost Narratives (00:29:20)

13. Headcount Down, Wealth Up (00:32:20)

14. AI Agents On The Org Chart (00:35:40)