Brian Balfour

Runs the premier executive education platform for product and growth leaders. Reforge works directly with companies undergoing AI transformation — giving Balfour a uniquely broad sample of how dozens of companies are actually implementing (or failing to implement) AI adoption. Their core argument: Most executives are disconnected from actual AI adoption — use hard constraints and identify catalysts, converts, and anchors. The evidence is specific: A principal PM at a major tech company shared an AI prototype — it stalled for a month until they happened to mention it to the CEO at a happy hour, who had no idea it was stuck. Furthermore, one company set a hard constraint that each function would be one-fifth the industry benchmark size, forcing AI adoption through necessity. Executives refusing to review PRDs unless they come with three AI-generated prototypes — creating bottom-up adoption pressure. In Brian Balfour's own words: "Most CEOs or most executives are incredibly disconnected from the actual AI adoption taking place inside their companies. I think a lot of executives who have done these decrees and all that kind of stuff think it's happening naturally." (On the gap between executive AI mandates and ground-level reality.)