David Vélez sees AI's potential beyond optimizing operations. He believes it will provide sophisticated, personalized financial advice to the masses, democratizing wealth management and solving for the 99% who lack access to true financial guidance, unlike their wealthy counterparts.

While Donald Trump may treat departments like Education or Defense as a "joke," he appears to take economic roles like the Fed Chair more seriously, appointing actual economists. This suggests he sees the economy as a direct, tangible scorecard of his success, requiring a baseline of competence that other areas do not.

To move beyond general knowledge, AI firms are creating a new role: the "AI Trainer." These are not contractors but full-time employees, typically PhDs with deep domain expertise and a computer science interest, tasked with systematically improving model competence in specific fields like physics or mathematics.

To operationalize AI, move beyond a tech-only committee. Sensei created a trifecta of the Chief Human Success Officer, VP of Finance, and CTO. This structure ensures AI initiatives are evaluated based on their impact on people (HR), financial viability (Finance), and technical implementation, creating a holistic roadmap.

At Vanguard, strong job performance alone is insufficient for career longevity. The company's culture, shaped by leaders like Jack Brennan, mandates that managers must also excel at developing and leading their people, making management skill a core requirement for success.

Using the historical parallel of ATMs, CEO Sim Shabalala argues that AI won't eliminate human roles but will automate routine tasks. This frees humans for higher-order work involving empathy, complex problem-solving, and valuable client interaction.

At the VP or C-level, a leader's primary role shifts from managing their function to driving overall business success. Their focus becomes more external—customers, market, revenue—and their success is measured by their end-to-end impact on the company, not just their team's performance.

For early-career professionals, success isn't just about task mastery. It's about understanding how your specific role contributes to the firm's broader commercial engine. This holistic view allows you to spot opportunities and develop a unique, value-added perspective on solving client problems.

When major economic data is released, a Fed president's response is not a simple reaction to the headline number. It's a structured process involving a team of research experts who immediately work to "unpack" the details. The real information is often found in the nuances and underlying components, which are then compared to existing models.