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Cost, Speed, and the Reckoning Ahead
The AI Shift Is Bigger Than Identity: The 106th Edition of the Identity Jedi Newsletter
David Lee
May 28, 2025
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Hey Jedi , welcome to the 106th Edition of the Identity Jedi Newsletter.
We’ve got a packed issue this week—AI is evolving at light speed, companies are making billion-dollar moves, and LinkedIn is on fire with very interesting conversations.
Plus, I’m getting ready for Identiverse 2025—and this year, I’m not just speaking... we’re bringing the Identity Jedi Show live to Vegas.
Make sure you don’t miss that invite link 👇🏽
Let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
Let’s Talk AIWe overhype everything in tech. Cloud. Blockchain. Metaverse. Remember that one week NFTs were supposed to replace your driver’s license? But AI… this one’s different. There’s actual fire behind this smoke. Just look at what’s happened in two years:
The app you’re using today won’t be the same in six months. And I don’t just mean new features—I mean new capabilities. You can type what you want, and it creates it. Not just emails or social posts… applications, diagrams, legal docs, research, training guides. This isn’t just a tech trend. It’s a shift in how we use technology. AI isn’t just a faster tool—it’s a collaborator. Which means we’re not just adapting tools. We’re rethinking how work gets done. And we haven’t even touched the cost conversation yet… |  So, what do you think this means for IAM? I think it’s highly likely that portions of what we do today are replaced by AI agents. Anything help desk related (Access Request, provisioning, reporting) gone. Handed to an interactive session with an agent that integrated into Teams or Slack. “Ok but we won’t let this agents make access decisions, or manage privilege access?“ Oh so you mean how we would never move to application infrastructure that we didn’t own? Or never allow a process to automate the deployment of software , which also but hey had had access to privileged information ( Jenkins) Then ground beneath our feet is shifting. Application development is changing, information access is changing. In 5 years we’ll see a company go from 0 to 50+ Million in revenue with less than ten people. Will see a soloproneuer build and exit a company in 18 months with a 7 figure exit. We’ll also see ( if we aren’t already) sophisticated, reasoning malware that targets, stalks, and infiltrates systems. But yeah we’ve seen this all before, so we’re ready…right? |
From the Feed: What Got People Talking
“Every time I call an Uber…” — Absolutely loved this post by Manuel comparing what we are seeing right now in AI with what we saw with Uber. ( highly recommend you check out his full post). It begs the question what happens when the A.I buzz becomes the norm? Right now every AI company is in growth mode. Meaning get as many customers as possible, and keep getting them. Growth, growth, growth. And those customers are paying maybe 1/0 of the cost of what it takes to provide these AI services. ( That’s a wild guess on my part, but just bare with me). That cost is being subsidized by VC’s, because they see the opportunity, but at some point those VC’s are going to want their return. The bill comes due….always  What happens when that cost has to be passed on to the consumer? To that vendor that built their entire stack on an AI platform. | “This is the hill I’m dying on.” —“There is no trust. There is only verification, validation, and policy. Everything else is just risk.” Dr. Zero Trust ( Aka Chase) Zero Trust is still being watered down into buzzwords while breaches keep reminding us: “Trusted” is the most dangerous label you can assign anything. In the age of AI agents and non-human identities, that principle matters more than ever. If you don’t follow Chase Cunningham, you should. Always dropping great content. |
Industry News
Open AI Makes an AcquisitionA new hardware collaboration is brewing between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and legendary Apple designer Jony Ive—aiming to reimagine how humans interact with AI in their daily lives. | Salesforce making movesThis deal is all about creating a unified architecture for AI—Salesforce wants Informatica’s data muscle to power its agentic ambitions. | Cerby coming in hot!!Cerby is doubling down on automating identity security—especially around SaaS apps that live outside IT control. Every single identity project still struggles with App Onboarding..Cerby to the rescue? |
🎤 Where I’ll Be: Identiverse 2025
It’s almost that time.
Identiverse 2025 is around the corner, and I’m pulling double duty this year with two sessions + a special live event.
Here’s what’s going down:
🔹 Talk 1: “Let’s Be Honest – Your Identity Project Isn’t Stuck, It’s Confused”
📍 Wednesday, June 4 at 4 PM
We’ll break down the real reasons IAM projects stall (spoiler: it’s not the tech) and how to get them back on track with questions, alignment, and a little Jedi Mind Trick.
🔹 Talk 2: “Identity: The Superhero No One Invited to the Boardroom (But Still Saves the Day)”
📍 Thursday, June 5 at 4 PM
This one’s for every IAM leader who’s been underestimated, underfunded, and over-delivering. We’ll talk budget, visibility, and how to move from sidekick to strategic hero.
🥃 Special Event: The Identity Jedi x Saviynt present: Identity Royale
📍 Tuesday, June 3 from 8–11 PM
We’re bringing something different to Vegas—a candid, no-slides conversation about leadership in identity. The night kicks off with a private podcast taping of the Identity Jedi Show, followed by a roundtable on the best (and worst) leadership lessons from the field.
Then? Drinks, connections, and maybe a few surprises.
👉🏽 Space is limited—grab your spot now: ( Seriously, very few seats left!)
The Last Word
I was reminded of a few things this week, and I wanted to share them with all of you.
1) It’s okay to actually celebrate your accomplishments. I was given the honor of being apart of a “videocast” ( See, I’m helping Mark!!) where I got a chance to tell my story and talk about some of the things I’ve done. For those of you that know me ( like really know me) you know I’m always uncomfortable talking about myself or my accomplishments. Because at the end of the day I’m no different than any of you, and I want everyone to be the best they can be and reach every single goal they set for themselves. So if I can be just a small example of that, I’m truly happy. Every now and then it’s okay to look at what you’ve accomplished and say…Good Job. So thanks Mark and team for giving me the chance to share my story, and giving me an opportunity to stop and “smell the roses”.
2) Someone asked me: “How did you know you were ready to make the leap to bigger opportunities”
My answer: I didn’t. I just leaped.
And it wasn’t easy. Especially for me because I started my career as a developer, and a typical one at that. I wanted everything to be perfect. I didn’t like taking chances, so I had to learn to leap and trust in my ability to handle the situation. Did it always work? HELL NO. But with each leap I learned something new. Along the way I had friends, mentors, and family pushing and encouraging me. Sometimes it really does take a leap of faith. You can’t think about it, you just have to do it. You WILL FALL, you WILL SCRAP YOU KNEE, YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES. That’s all part of it. You cannot find success if you’re unwilling to find failure. So I leave you with this.
JUMP!
I promise it will be worth it.
Till next time.
Be Good to each other, Be Kind to each other, Love each other
What did you think of this weeks newsletter? |
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