Welcome back to The Hot Seat Podcast, the no-nonsense show for Microsoft Partners.
In this episode, I sat down with Giuseppe Ianni, VP of Dynamic Communities, to talk about two things every Microsoft partner is dealing with right now: how to get real value out of Community Summit, and how to keep AI useful now that it's getting more expensive to run.
Giuseppe is part of the team behind Community Summit. This is my tenth year going, and it's still the event I have the most fun at every year. He's also just added AI training to his title, and whenever I see him, I know I'm going to get a straight answer.
Four Groups, One Room
When I asked Giuseppe why a Microsoft partner should go to Summit, he went straight to what Dynamic Communities calls its four points of light. Microsoft's creators come to share where the product lines are heading. Buyers come to vet solutions and find the right partners. Users, who still make up about 40 to 45 percent of the audience, come to get better at what they already have. And partners and ISVs come to figure out their stack and who they can lean on throughout the year.
What I love is the tone that mix creates. As Giuseppe put it, "It's not a high pressure buying environment." It's education first. That's a big reason Summit is tracking toward 6,000 attendees this year: partners are bringing their customers through the VIP program and using the week to drive customer success.
Plan Your Week Before You Land
I'll admit it: even after ten years, I find Summit overwhelming. Figuring out where to be and what to prioritize is a job in itself, and the app never really structured the week for me.
This year, Dynamic Communities built a Summit agent. In four or five clicks, it asks for your product line, the days you're attending, and your role, then suggests the sessions, keynotes, general sessions, and show floor activations that fit, including relevant partners. The Community Summit website also has a new experience section listing the partner events, activities, and nightlife around the week. Do this before you get on the plane.
AI Got More Expensive. Now It Needs a Plan.
This is the part of the conversation I keep thinking about. When AI felt like a flat cost, everyone kicked the tires. Now that pricing is moving to tokens and it's getting more expensive to use, you need to know why you're using it, how you're using it, and what governance sits behind it.
Giuseppe has watched what happens when that's missing. Organizations turn AI on and then, in his words, "all of a sudden they're shutting it off" because the spending got out of control. That's why Dynamic Communities is putting real weight behind AI training, including bringing on Dwayne Robinson after 20-plus years at Microsoft as a leader in the Copilot space. They're going on site to work with leadership, sales, and development teams, for users and partners alike.
Everyone Is Behind, and That's OK
With AI moving this fast, Giuseppe's view is that nobody is ahead: "It's just a matter of how far behind we are." A community that spent years buying SaaS on a predictable rollout schedule isn't used to this pace.
This is where I'm most bullish on coaching. In my work with clients, especially in sales and marketing, AI adoption comes down to a mindset shift. A coach who can see what's coming, show you what you missed, and help you make small changes gets a team there faster and keeps costs in check along the way. Giuseppe mentioned that many organizations simply want a quarterly touch base with an expert. I think that's smart.
See You in Nashville
Community Summit is in Nashville, Tennessee this October, and Giuseppe's pick for the highlight is the closing party at the Grand Ole Opry. It's the largest closing event Dynamic Communities has ever hosted: a concert that runs for several hours, open to everyone. I'll be there in my cowboy boots.
