<p>AI implementations rarely fail because of the technology. They fail because of people, incentives, fear, and organizational blind spots.</p><p>In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Sophia Zitman, Director of AI Projects at Kickstart AI, about what actually makes AI work in real organizations. </p><p>From starting with the why instead of the tech, to navigating politics, resistance, and design choices that determine whether AI ever makes it to production.</p><p>This conversation is for founders, operators, and leaders who want to move beyond AI hype and build systems that are useful, ethical, and adopted.</p><p>Follow Women Disrupting Tech for more conversations like this.</p><p>In this episode</p><ul><li>Why humans, not technology, cause most AI failures</li><li>How to design AI around real organizational goals</li><li>Why resistance is often a signal, not a blocker</li><li>What founders underestimate about AI infrastructure</li><li>How AI can lower the barrier to building companies and accessing education</li></ul><p><strong>Chapters:</strong></p><p>01:23 Why most AI strategies fail in practice</p><p>04:23 Sophia Zitman and building AI that delivers value</p><p>11:13 The real reason AI projects break down</p><p>17:33 Designing AI around people and workflows</p><p>23:38 When politics derail even good AI projects</p><p>32:23 What successful AI implementation looks like</p><p>47:08 AI as an advantage for startups and founders</p><p>56:53 AI as an equalizer and building inclusive tech</p><p><strong>Connect with Sophia Zitman:</strong></p><p>Sophia Zitman on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-claire-zitman/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">LinkedIn</a>.</p><p><strong>Support the podcast:</strong></p><p>Subscribe on <a href="https://womendisruptingtech.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Substack</a></p><p>Follow the podcast on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4j0svhEm3Wu0S06GIetjQZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer nofollow">Spotify</a></p><p>Follow the podcast on <a href="https://bit.ly/Women-disrupting-tech-Apple-podcasts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer nofollow">Apple Podcasts</a></p><p>Follow the podcast on <a href="https://youtube.com/channel/UCZST3cWvivkabc6tShMv8gg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer nofollow">YouTube</a></p>