How the Future of Work Will Look by 2035 - And It's Closer Than You Think

Explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the workplace through this 41-minute podcast episode featuring AI visionary and Datagrid founder Thiago Da Costa. Discover why AI adoption lags behind its revolutionary potential and learn practical strategies for implementing intelligent agents to replace repetitive tasks and redesign organizational operations. Gain insights from Da Costa's journey from building physics engines for blockbuster films like Avatar to selling his startup to Autodesk and pioneering the future of work through AI-powered solutions. Understand the emerging role of "agent architects" in modern companies, explore how small teams can leverage AI to outcompete larger organizations, and examine real-world examples of AI agents handling complex operational tasks like shipping and tracking. Learn to identify the most valuable talent characteristics in an AI-native hiring landscape, where grit and curiosity outweigh traditional credentials, and discover actionable steps for leaders to reclaim 5+ hours daily through intelligent automation. The discussion covers infrastructure challenges holding back mass AI adoption, the shift toward voice and video interfaces, and provides a compelling vision of how work might transform by 2035, complete with practical guidance for starting your AI implementation journey today.

Syllabus

00:00 – Why every junior is now a senior with AI
01:30 – AI is underhyped: usage is far behind potential
03:00 – Infrastructure gaps: what’s holding mass adoption back
04:00 – Voice, video, and the next interface shift
06:00 – Replacing work with intelligence: what it means
07:30 – Thiago’s origin: Brazil, physics, and Avatar
09:00 – Starting a company and learning the hard way
10:30 – The one person who believed in him
12:00 – Building a CAD platform in the browser
14:00 – What it felt like to be acquired by Autodesk
16:00 – Driving cloud transformation inside a legacy org
18:00 – What inefficiency really looks like at scale
20:00 – How Datagrid replaces repetitive ops with agents
22:00 – Why "agent architect" is the next must-hire
24:00 – Grit + curiosity = your most valuable employee
26:00 – Why small teams can now outpace the giants
28:00 – Where leaders should start with AI today
30:00 – Content, SEO, and how to really use LLMs
32:00 – Real example: AI agent handling shipping and tracking
34:00 – The three-year vision: free up 5+ hours/day
36:00 – What the world could look like in 2035
38:00 – One lesson for every founder: aim higher
40:00 – Damon’s challenge: share this with a future founder