Episode 14: AdviseAI Hangover
November 12, 2025
52 mins
In the first episode of Zero Basis Points, hosts Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti delve into the complexities of the wealth management industry, exploring the evolution of technology, the challenges of data management, and the value of their podcast as a platform for discussion.
Summary
In this episode of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti unpack the industry buzz following the AdviseAI conference. They break down why advisors still hesitate to trust AI, why “agentic” has become the most abused word in wealthtech, and where the real value of AI actually sits — in the back office rather than the client-facing front end. Haik and George call out the industry’s ongoing dependence on PDFs, the surge of new CRMs that don’t solve foundational problems, and the widening gap between firms experimenting with AI and those still waiting on the sidelines. The episode captures the candid, post-conference reality of where wealth management is headed and what early adopters stand to gain.
Key Topics Covered
- What Haik and George took away from the AdviseAI conference
- Why many advisors still don’t feel comfortable relying on AI
- How the term “agentic AI” is being used loosely across the industry
- Why the biggest impact of AI will happen in back-office processes
- The ongoing dependence on PDFs and why it slows everyone down
- New CRMs appearing in the market and why most still miss core needs
- Why early AI adopters are starting to pull ahead of firms waiting to act
Timecode
00:00 Welcome Back
01:20 The Simultaneous Sip: How It Started
05:30 Fitness Updates
09:30 Wait… Are We Livestreaming Right Now?!
10:46 Advise AI Conference: First Impressions
17:20 AI & Automation: Fears and Expectations
22:08 Why CRM Is Broken Across the Industry
23:36 The Role of Notes in Client Relationships
25:25 AI Note Takers: Useful or Just Optics?
29:55 The PDF Problem in Wealth Management
38:40 How AI Actually Works Inside a WealthTech Platform
44:20 Teasing the Next Episode… Guess Who’s Joining?
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
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On-air archive
Featured episodes
See All Episodes
Conquest of Trial-and-Error
Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Brad Frey, Sales Director at Conquest Planning, for a candid look at the state of financial planning tech.
15
AdviseAI Hangover
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI.
14
Make WealthTech Open Again
Episode 13 brings our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology.
13
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2025 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 14: AdviseAI Hangover
November 12, 2025
52 mins
In the first episode of Zero Basis Points, hosts Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti delve into the complexities of the wealth management industry, exploring the evolution of technology, the challenges of data management, and the value of their podcast as a platform for discussion.
Summary
In this episode of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti unpack the industry buzz following the AdviseAI conference. They break down why advisors still hesitate to trust AI, why “agentic” has become the most abused word in wealthtech, and where the real value of AI actually sits — in the back office rather than the client-facing front end. Haik and George call out the industry’s ongoing dependence on PDFs, the surge of new CRMs that don’t solve foundational problems, and the widening gap between firms experimenting with AI and those still waiting on the sidelines. The episode captures the candid, post-conference reality of where wealth management is headed and what early adopters stand to gain.
Key Topics Covered
- What Haik and George took away from the AdviseAI conference
- Why many advisors still don’t feel comfortable relying on AI
- How the term “agentic AI” is being used loosely across the industry
- Why the biggest impact of AI will happen in back-office processes
- The ongoing dependence on PDFs and why it slows everyone down
- New CRMs appearing in the market and why most still miss core needs
- Why early AI adopters are starting to pull ahead of firms waiting to act
Timecode
00:00 Welcome Back
01:20 The Simultaneous Sip: How It Started
05:30 Fitness Updates
09:30 Wait… Are We Livestreaming Right Now?!
10:46 Advise AI Conference: First Impressions
17:20 AI & Automation: Fears and Expectations
22:08 Why CRM Is Broken Across the Industry
23:36 The Role of Notes in Client Relationships
25:25 AI Note Takers: Useful or Just Optics?
29:55 The PDF Problem in Wealth Management
38:40 How AI Actually Works Inside a WealthTech Platform
44:20 Teasing the Next Episode… Guess Who’s Joining?
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
On-air archive
Featured episodes
See All Episodes
Conquest of Trial-and-Error
Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Brad Frey, Sales Director at Conquest Planning, for a candid look at the state of financial planning tech.
15
AdviseAI Hangover
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI.
14
Make WealthTech Open Again
Episode 13 brings our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology.
13
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2025 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 14: AdviseAI Hangover
November 12, 2025
52 mins
In the first episode of Zero Basis Points, hosts Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti delve into the complexities of the wealth management industry, exploring the evolution of technology, the challenges of data management, and the value of their podcast as a platform for discussion.
Summary
In this episode of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti unpack the industry buzz following the AdviseAI conference. They break down why advisors still hesitate to trust AI, why “agentic” has become the most abused word in wealthtech, and where the real value of AI actually sits — in the back office rather than the client-facing front end. Haik and George call out the industry’s ongoing dependence on PDFs, the surge of new CRMs that don’t solve foundational problems, and the widening gap between firms experimenting with AI and those still waiting on the sidelines. The episode captures the candid, post-conference reality of where wealth management is headed and what early adopters stand to gain.
Key Topics Covered
- What Haik and George took away from the AdviseAI conference
- Why many advisors still don’t feel comfortable relying on AI
- How the term “agentic AI” is being used loosely across the industry
- Why the biggest impact of AI will happen in back-office processes
- The ongoing dependence on PDFs and why it slows everyone down
- New CRMs appearing in the market and why most still miss core needs
- Why early AI adopters are starting to pull ahead of firms waiting to act
Timecode
00:00 Welcome Back
01:20 The Simultaneous Sip: How It Started
05:30 Fitness Updates
09:30 Wait… Are We Livestreaming Right Now?!
10:46 Advise AI Conference: First Impressions
17:20 AI & Automation: Fears and Expectations
22:08 Why CRM Is Broken Across the Industry
23:36 The Role of Notes in Client Relationships
25:25 AI Note Takers: Useful or Just Optics?
29:55 The PDF Problem in Wealth Management
38:40 How AI Actually Works Inside a WealthTech Platform
44:20 Teasing the Next Episode… Guess Who’s Joining?
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
On-air archive
Featured episodes
See All Episodes
Conquest of Trial-and-Error
Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Brad Frey, Sales Director at Conquest Planning, for a candid look at the state of financial planning tech.
15
AdviseAI Hangover
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI.
14
Make WealthTech Open Again
Episode 13 brings our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology.
13
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2025 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 14: AdviseAI Hangover
November 12, 2025
48 mins
In Episode 14 of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI. From the buzz around agentic AI and the wave of new CRMs to the death of PDFs and why most advisors still don’t trust AI, they unpack the biggest themes, share takeaways from sessions and hallway conversations, and reflect on where AI in wealth management is headed next.
Summary
In this episode of Zero Basis Points, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti unpack the industry buzz following the AdviseAI conference. They break down why advisors still hesitate to trust AI, why “agentic” has become the most abused word in wealthtech, and where the real value of AI actually sits — in the back office rather than the client-facing front end. Haik and George call out the industry’s ongoing dependence on PDFs, the surge of new CRMs that don’t solve foundational problems, and the widening gap between firms experimenting with AI and those still waiting on the sidelines. The episode captures the candid, post-conference reality of where wealth management is headed and what early adopters stand to gain.
Key Topics Covered
- What Haik and George took away from the AdviseAI conference
- Why many advisors still don’t feel comfortable relying on AI
- How the term “agentic AI” is being used loosely across the industry
- Why the biggest impact of AI will happen in back-office processes
- The ongoing dependence on PDFs and why it slows everyone down
- New CRMs appearing in the market and why most still miss core needs
- Why early AI adopters are starting to pull ahead of firms waiting to act
Timecode
00:00 Welcome Back
01:20 The Simultaneous Sip: How It Started
05:30 Fitness Updates
09:30 Wait… Are We Livestreaming Right Now?!
10:46 Advise AI Conference: First Impressions
17:20 AI & Automation: Fears and Expectations
22:08 Why CRM Is Broken Across the Industry
23:36 The Role of Notes in Client Relationships
25:25 AI Note Takers: Useful or Just Optics?
29:55 The PDF Problem in Wealth Management
38:40 How AI Actually Works Inside a WealthTech Platform
44:20 Teasing the Next Episode… Guess Who’s Joining?
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
On-air archive
Featured episodes
See All Episodes
Conquest of Trial-and-Error
Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Brad Frey, Sales Director at Conquest Planning, for a candid look at the state of financial planning tech.
15
AdviseAI Hangover
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti share their insights on what really stood out at Advise AI.
14
Make WealthTech Open Again
Episode 13 brings our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology.
13
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2025 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.