Stop Buying AI Tools. Start Buying Back Your People's Time.

In this episode of **The Revenue Room™ Podcast**, Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with **Jay Lauf**, Co-Founder of Charter and former founding publisher of Quartz. With two successful media exits under his belt and decades leading iconic brands like *The Atlantic* and *WIRED*, Jay shares why the biggest AI opportunity isn't buying more tools—it's redesigning how people work. From building indispensable media businesses to creating sustainable high-performance cultures, he offers practical lessons for CEOs navigating AI, leadership, and the future of work. **Why Listen:** - Learn why **93% of AI investment goes into tools while only 7% goes into training**, and why that imbalance is holding companies back. - Discover how AI can increase productivity **without increasing burnout** by giving employees time back to focus on higher-value work. - Hear why the future belongs to businesses that become **indispensable, not just interesting**, by earning meaningful, recurring attention. - Explore practical leadership strategies from Charter, including no-meeting Fridays, manager user manuals, and using AI to improve quality rather than simply increasing output. - Understand why founders often underestimate the **human side of acquisitions**, and how vision, leadership, and storytelling influence successful exits. **CONNECT WITH JAY:** https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-lauf-b7452724/ **About RevvedUP 2026** RevvedUP 2026 is where CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders reset their growth playbook for the AI-first economy. Taking place March 23–24, 2026 at The Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, FL, this two-day strategy lab helps leaders pressure-test how AI moves from cost center to growth driver and turn data and disruption into competitive advantage. **About Heather Holst-Knudsen** Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. A seasoned executive and operator across media, marketplaces, events, and technology, she specializes in digital transformation, data-driven growth, and customer-centric value creation. Heather shares her insights on multisided business models through The Revenue Room™. **About Revenue Room™ CXO** Revenue Room™ CXO is a private executive community for CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders navigating growth in the data and AI economy. Through curated peer discussions and strategy sprints, members tackle real-world challenges in revenue transformation, customer intelligence, and business model innovation. Learn more or apply for membership at **info.h2klabs.com/apply-cxo**.