AI & Agents for Leaders: Cutting Through the Hype to Build Real Judgment
Sinan Ozdemir
AI & LLM Expert and Author
The leaders winning with AI aren't the most technical ones.
Every senior leader is being pitched AI agents right now - autonomous systems that promise to transform operations, cut costs, and outpace competitors. Most non-technical executives have no reliable framework to evaluate these claims, and the cost of getting it wrong is steep.
This workshop gives VPs, Directors, and C-suite leaders the mental models and decision tools to assess any AI agent initiative: what these systems actually are, where they fail, and how to identify the highest-leverage automation candidates in their own organization. Built for decision-makers, not engineers, and grounded in real enterprise examples from Sinan's Pearson book Building Agentic AI.
You don't leave inspired. You leave with tools you'll use Monday morning.
Workshop agenda
- 12:00PM EDT
Welcome & The $1M Mistake
See exactly how AI agent initiatives go wrong - and what the approving executive missed. Real cases, real costs, and why better judgment beats more technical knowledge.
- 12:20PM EDT
What AI Agents Actually Are
Build the plain-language mental model you need to evaluate any agent proposal. We cover LLMs, tools, memory, and orchestration - no code, no jargon, no fluff.
- 12:50PM EDT
The Automation Candidate Scorecard
Learn the 5-factor framework for evaluating any process for automation readiness, then apply it live to a real example with the group.
- 1:20PM EDT
Break
10 minute break!
- 1:30PM EDT
How Agents Break
Learn the 4 failure categories that sink real deployments - then practice spotting them in a mock vendor proposal before they cost you budget or credibility.
- 2:00PM EDT
Apply It to Your Org
Use the Scorecard on real processes from your own organization. Bring one candidate - you'll leave knowing whether it's worth pursuing and why.
- 2:40PM EDT
Build Your Evaluation Brief
Draft a one-page brief for an initiative you're currently facing. Two or three examples get reviewed live so the whole room learns from real cases.
- 3:10PM EDT
The Pitch Gauntlet
Interrogate a realistic, deliberately flawed AI agent pitch in real time. Use your Scorecard and Red Flag Checklist to find what's broken before anyone commits budget.
- 3:45PM EDT
Q&A + Next Steps
Leave with a concrete 3-step action plan tailored to where you are right now, plus answers to the questions your specific situation is raising.
What you’ll learn
Stop guessing on AI bets. Leave with the judgment and tools to evaluate any initiative with confidence.
How AI agents work at a conceptual level — well enough to ask sharp questions in any vendor or internal pitch meeting
To determine whether a given process is a strong or weak automation candidate
That are high-leverage automation candidates — and two that are not
In AI agent deployments before they cost money or credibility
For an AI initiative they're currently being asked to approve or fund
On inflated vendor claims using specific, grounded questions
Learn directly from Sinan
Sinan Ozdemir
Author, lecturer, and entrepreneur
Who this workshop is for
VP of Operations, COO, Chief of Staff, Director of Digital Transformation, VP of Product, VP of Strategy
8–20 years; currently expected to sponsor, approve, or lead AI initiatives without a technical background
Company type: Mid-market to enterprise; already being pitched AI platforms or has an internal team proposing agent workflows
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Sinan Ozdemir in a real-time, interactive format.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Maven Guarantee
Your purchase is backed by the Maven Guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
$450
USD