Ep 82 | Behavior Change: How Startups Are Making AI Stick

Cloudera, Inc.

Jul 22, 2026

Behavior change is the biggest hurdle in AI adoption. AI only creates value when people make it part of their everyday work.

In this episode of The AI Forecast, Paul Muller sits down with Varun Puri, CEO and co-founder of Yoodli, to discuss why successful AI adoption starts with changing how people work. Drawing on his experience at Google, Google X, and as the founder of an AI startup, Varun shares practical lessons on embedding AI into everyday workflows and building habits that stick.

From AI-generated leadership briefings to a daily gratitude agent, Varun explains how small behavioral shifts can unlock outsized results, and why the most valuable AI tools are the ones people actually use.

Varun and Paul’s conversation explores:

Practical ways startups are using AI to improve daily operations
How AI gives leaders real-time visibility across the business
Why incentives often undermine successful AI initiatives
Why emotional intelligence may become more valuable in the AI era
Personal AI workflows that help leaders stay focused and effective

Throughout the discussion, Varun explains how AI becomes most valuable when it helps people do their best work, rather than simply automating tasks.

Whether you're rolling out AI across an enterprise or scaling a startup, this episode offers practical ideas for integrating AI into everyday work.

Want to hear more about leading successful AI adoption? Check out Ep 78 | Mastering Enterprise AI: Why Some Projects Succeed While Others Fail https://www.youtube.com/watch

Stay in touch with Varun:*
Varun Puri on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varun-puri001

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