Taylor Black on AI, Startups, Microsoft, and Building a Life Through Foster Care and Adoption
AI is everywhere. But very few people understand how it actually gets built and adopted at scale.
In this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, I sit down with Taylor Black, who works at Microsoft, to talk about what AI really looks like inside big tech and what founders and startups get wrong about it.
We dig into how large companies approach AI adoption, the gap between hype and execution, and how startups should think about using AI responsibly instead of chasing trends.
We also go much deeper than tech.
Taylor shares his family’s journey through fostering and adoption, what it’s taught him about leadership, patience, and long-term thinking, and how building a family changes how you define success.
This conversation is about building technology, building companies, and building a meaningful life — all at the same time.
If you’re a founder, operator, or leader trying to balance ambition with responsibility, this episode will hit.
Timestamps
00:00 Show introduction and Taylor Black’s background
06:30 Homeschooling journey and academic preparation for college
09:43 Faith, religion, and philosophical foundations in life
18:54 Philosophy of intelligence and its implications for AI
22:44 Transition into entrepreneurship and early startup experience
24:16 Foster care and adoption: Long-term responsibility and service
39:22 Personal development, success metrics, and parenting philosophy
45:10 The Seattle startup ecosystem and its unique dynamics
52:33 Cultural and structural drivers behind Seattle’s big tech success
56:31 Education and software careers in the age of AI
01:12:20 Intrapreneurship and building AI ventures inside Microsoft
01:21:31 Agentic AI and the open ecosystem roadmap
01:29:04 Founder mindset, customer discovery, and product-market fit
02:06:12 AI, work identity, and the human-centered economy
02:14:45 Closing thoughts and how to connect
Connect with Taylor Black
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blacktaylor/
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