EP 253 Swan Dive Backwards (The Story and Framework Behind the Book)

You may have heard host Susan Diaz say she “swan dove backwards off the cliff into AI”. In this episode, she unpacks what that actually means, how it became the working title of her book, and the concrete frameworks leaders can use to move boldly into AI without being reckless.

This is a personal, behind-the-scenes episode.

Susan shares how she went from not being in the famous first 6 million users of ChatGPT… to becoming the person who showed up a week later and refused to leave.

She explains why generative AI felt different from every underwhelming AI-ish tool she’d used before.
Then she introduces two big ideas that will run through the book and the podcast series:

• The four cliff archetypes of AI in organizations.

• The five moves of a swan dive that turn bold experimentation into lasting infrastructure.

It’s part origin story, part field guide, and part invitation to join the Early Divers instead of waiting for the bridge to magically appear.

Key takeaways

Generative AI was a pattern-breaker. What hooked Susan wasn’t hype. It was the combo of: credible output, ability to handle large volumes of messy information, and being free to use. That trifecta changed the game for everyday operators.

“Swan dive backwards” is not recklessness. It’s a personality pattern. Quick starts jump with a scan for rocks and a plan to tuck their elbows. The instinct is to move, not freeze, when the path ends.

Every organization has four cliff archetypes of AI:

1. Divers - the early experimenters pressing all the buttons.
   
   

2. Pathfinders - the risk-mappers and governance folks asking “how do we do this safely?”
   
   

3. Operators - the people who turn experiments into actual workflows and pilots.
   
   

4. Bridge builders - the systems people who turn one-time wins into playbooks, platforms, and training.

You are rarely just one archetype. You’re more like a sound mix across all four. That mix determines how you respond when AI shows up as a cliff, not a gentle slope.

The five moves of a swan dive give you a pattern:

1. Spot the cliff - recognize this is a step-change, not another incremental tool.
   
   

2. Check the water - test, set guardrails, understand risks and boundaries.
   
   

3. The dive - move out of analysis into real use on real work.
   
   

4. Surface with a map - name patterns, document what’s working, share stories.
   
   

5. Build the bridge - turn what you learned into infrastructure so others don’t have to jump cold.
   
   

AI is too big to leave to one personality type. Divers alone will splatter. Pathfinders alone will stall. Operators without bridge builders will create one-off wins that never stick. You need all four.

This book and series are a public swan dive. Backwards! The 30-episode challenge, the naming of Swan Dive Backwards, and the frameworks are all being built where others can see and eventually walk the bridge.

Episode highlights

[00:00] “I swan dive backwards off the cliff into AI” - why that line sticks and what it actually means.

[01:19] Naming the book Swan Dive Backwards and the meta moment for future readers.

[01:47] Why Susan was not in the first 6 million ChatGPT users, and why early AI tools had underwhelmed her.

[03:03] The three markers that made generative AI different: credible output, large-volume handling, and being free.

[05:27] “Late to the party, then refused to leave” – how personality type shaped her AI journey.

[06:28] The cliff analogy: divers, plotters, doers, bridge builders.

[09:33] Why Susan is a classic “diver” and how that shows up in entrepreneurship.

[12:08] The LinkedIn comment from Alison Garwood-Jones that locked in the book title.

[14:53] The four cliff archetypes of AI inside companies, in explicit AI terms.

[18:38] Move 1: spotting the cliff – realising AI is a calculator/PC-level shift, not a passing tool.

[19:44] Move 2: checking the water – personal tests, failures, and organisational governance.

[20:45] Move 3: the swan dive – moving from theory to workflow-level experiments.

[21:50] Move 4: surfacing with a map – turning experiences into language, frameworks, audits.

[23:03] Move 5: building the bridge – connecting experiments into ongoing systems and training.

[23:31] Why the real courage is building so others never have to jump cold again.

This episode is both an origin story and a mirror.

Ask yourself and your team

1. Which cliff archetype do you lead with: Diver, Pathfinder, Operator, or Bridge Builder?

2. Where are you on the five moves of the swan dive: staring at the cliff… or quietly building the bridge?
   
   

Share this episode with the biggest “diver” you know and the most trusted “pathfinder” in your organization.
They’re going to need each other.

Connect with Susan Diaz on LinkedIn to get a conversation started.

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