# How to make AI worth your time with Max Mullen

An episode of [Worklife with Molly Graham](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1346314086), 19 May 2026, 39 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/67585d9cc705e441796ddaf6/e/69fe49072b71c054a3d89c43/media.mp3

If you’ve tried AI and felt underwhelmed — or if the constant pressure to “just play around with it” makes you want to throw your laptop across the room — you’re not alone. But according to Max Mullen, co-founder of Instacart and one of the most practical thinkers on this technology, you might be closer to becoming an AI expert than you realize. In this episode, Max makes the case that expertise with AI isn’t about taking a course or spending your weekend trying to learn how to use it. Max talks about how to use AI to solve real problems, why you want to try it more than once, and argues that building a relationship with the tool is the key to getting better and faster results. This is the episode for anyone who’s skeptical, behind, or just exhausted by the hype. Featured guest • Follow Max Mullen on LinkedIn and at maxmullen.com/ • Visit Instacart Connect with the team • Follow Molly on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at glueclub.com/ • Subscribe to Molly’s Substack Lesson • Watch WorkLife videos on YouTube at TEDAudioCollective • Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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