The secret to AI isn't AI. It's your talent strategy.
95% of AI pilots are failing. We automated 90% of our content without a single full-time hire. Here's how.
Matthew MottolaGet this in your inbox every week. Join 26,000+ subscribers.
The secret to AI isn't AI. It's your talent strategy.
We've all seen the 95% stat —95% of AI pilots are failing. But it's not AI. It's humans that are to blame. And not individuals, but rather the traditional talent strategies companies are used to.
How do I know it's the talent strategy and not AI? Because we've seen the disruption first hand. As someone that saw deep learning and neural networks get built in 2016, 6 months ago I would've told you AI today isn't that different.
- In under 3 weeks we automated 90% of our content while increasing output by 350%.
- In under 6 weeks we built a recommendation algorithm that can pair agents and flexible talent solutions.
Both were built without a full time team (actually no full time headcount). They were built through our flexible talent team, the combination of agents and experts working through outcomes and impact, not salaries then severance.
- We aren't special, we were just early. Our cofounding team built the flexible talent networks behind Microsoft, Stanley Black & Decker, Koch Industries, and many more. From high tech, to highly regulated industries, we've seen flexible talent transform every corner of the economy.
So how can you succeed with AI? Start with your talent strategy, not the tech.
As I alluded in the opening, sometimes you just need to start new. In terms of AI and talent, this might mean starting your AI journey with flexible talent over what you'd traditionally do. And the good news, we just made this easier! By pairing the best AI agents with the right flexible talent solutions. Start your search today.
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- Matt, CEO |
PS: We just shipped our agentic search. Search "marketing" to find both AI agents and flexible talent solutions to build your agentic layer.
Platform Milestone
1,060
Visitors in a Single Day
Our best day yet. The front door to the flexible workforce just keeps growing.
See the milestone on LinkedIn →Industry Insights
Layoffs
Oracle Plans Thousands of Cuts in AI Cash Crunch
Oracle is planning to cut up to 30,000+ roles —roughly 18% of its workforce —as it redirects cash to massive AI data center expansion. Some of the cuts target roles the company expects AI will replace entirely. Total restructuring cost: $1.6 billion.
Layoffs
Atlassian Cuts 1,600 Workers, Blaming AI
Atlassian slashed 10% of its workforce to "self-fund" AI and enterprise investments. Over 900 of the cuts came from engineering. CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes: "We are doing this to self-fund further investment in AI and enterprise sales." Shares have lost more than half their value this year.
From the Network
David Stepania: "We're in the Tool-Building Era. The Outcome-Owning Era Hasn't Even Started Yet."
David Stepania, founder of ThirstySprout, nails the gap: "Executives don't wake up wanting another tool. They want claims processed. Menus digitized. Models trained. Operations running." His take —the smartest shift right now is from hourly billing to result-based pricing, from tool sprawl to operational execution. A copilot for your copilot is not a strategy. Owning the result is.
Read the full post →This Week on The Human Cloud Podcast
JJ Lammers, Founder of AllGigs
Work is fragmenting faster than anyone can track. While Human Cloud aggregates the solutions, JJ aggregates the work. He built AllGigs to pull freelance opportunities across platforms and geographies into one searchable layer, so independents stop competing for the same 3,000 listings and start finding the thousands hidden in plain sight.
"Once you look at the full market, there's actually a ton of work to be done."
— JJ Lammers
The conversation covers the Great Aggregation: why jobs are niching down (not disappearing), how freelancers lose an estimated €12,000/year just searching for their next gig, and why the aggregation thesis applies to both sides of the market.
Listen Now →Feature Spotlight: Certifications
Compliance Can Be Automated (With Independently)
Solutions on Human Cloud can now add Independently's IC Verification certification to shortcut independent contractor verification.
Independently.ai provides automated, jurisdiction-specific validation and scoring of independent contractor engagements to ensure every worker, from all platforms, is classified and documented correctly before onboarding.
With Oracle and Atlassian both cutting thousands of roles this week, the shift to contractor-first models is accelerating. The solutions that get compliance right from the start will win the business.
Solution Spotlight
Move fast... through an FMS
Copenhagen, Denmark
Unified freelance management platform for global workforce. Automates onboarding, compliance (including IR35), contracts, and payments.
London, UK
Friction-free talent management. Simplifies how companies find, manage, and pay freelancers.
Freelancer management solution built for broadcast and media. Scheduling, compliance, availability, and payments in one platform.
Be safe... with compliance-first solutions
Portland, US
Contingent workforce management and global hiring solutions. Compliance expertise and technology to engage, manage, and pay contractors across 100+ countries.
Chicago, US
Direct Employer of Record (EOR) and HXM platform. Hire and manage international employees via owned local entities across 160+ countries.
Canton, US
Employer of Record for U.S. W2 contract staffing. Deploy compliant workers across all 50 states without establishing entities.
Find the exact expertise you need...
US
Marketplace matching Shopify/e-commerce brands with vetted freelance developers, designers, and marketers for project-based work and retainers.
Raleigh, US
Hybrid creative agency and freelance staffing firm. Dedicated freelancer talent pools with vetting, onboarding, and payments handled end-to-end.
Fractional and interim HR leadership. Senior HR executives deployed for transformation, turnarounds, and strategic growth.
Business Cases
Real results from solutions on Human Cloud.
Worksome + Bopper Media
Replaced ad-hoc spreadsheets and recruitment firms with a centralized freelance management platform. Automated onboarding, IR35 classification, and payments in one system.
Hive 25 + Red Bee Media
Replaced manual calls and texts with a centralized platform for shift management. Scaled operations for major sporting events with full visibility on spending.
CXC + Boeing
Implemented a global MSP with vendor management across Europe. Centralized supply chain management to reduce costs and gain visibility over contingent workforce spend.
Atlas HXM + Moniepoint
Consolidated international people operations under a single EOR. Converted contractors to compliant arrangements and expanded into 8 countries in 3 months.
FoxHire + CB Partners
Partnered with an EOR to deploy contract workers across all 50 states without building entities in each. Placed hundreds of workers and avoided hundreds of thousands in infrastructure costs.
Storetasker + Samsonite Latin America
A dedicated Shopify expert supported 12 regional storefronts with app implementations, CRM integrations, and customer experience improvements via agile methodology.
Uncompany + Tupelo Honey Cafe
Assembled a flexible creative team for a full rebrand across 12 restaurant locations. Branding, web, interior, video, and collateral delivered for a fraction of agency cost.
Gig Talent + Dolby Labs
Deployed a fractional HR leader to transform HR from an administrative function into a strategic business partner. Shifted the executive mindset around HR during rapid growth.
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"There is no other organization anywhere like Human Cloud giving buyers and sellers useful and vetted information on the freelance revolution overall and specific platforms. It is unique, incredibly valuable, and big kudos to Matt Mottola, Paul Polo, and Tony Buffum." Jon Younger "Godfather of the Freelance Revolution" |
About Human Cloud
Human Cloud is the human layer for your agentic workforce.
We automate discovery, compliance, and orchestration across 1,077+ workforce platforms —so business teams move fast, procurement teams stay in control, and rogue contractor spend turns into a strategic advantage.
By using Human Cloud, companies can:
- ✓ Shortlist 10+ ideal solutions in minutes (not weeks)
- ✓ Deploy 3+ marketplaces in under a day (not 6-12 months)
- ✓ Turn 60% rogue contractor spend into a governed, strategic workforce
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