PPP 474 | A Candid Conversation with Stuart Taylor: LinkedIn, Careers, and AI

Summary

In this candid live-stream conversation, Andy chats with content creator and project leader Stuart Taylor, the mind behind the Influential PMO platform and the Stuart Taylor Project YouTube channel. They dig into the difference between influencers and thought leaders, how to choose topics that genuinely help practitioners, and what to do when metrics don’t match the effort. Stuart shares practical strategies for building professional visibility on LinkedIn and YouTube, including how to craft resonant messages, handle trolls, and focus on service over self-promotion.

The discussion also explores Stuart’s experiment asking whether AI could manage a project. Spoiler: AI is a strong team member for first drafts and research, but a weak project manager. They wrap with career advice for today’s shifting job market, including why to think like an internal consultant and how to future-proof your career by learning in public.

If you’re looking for insights on personal branding, creator tactics, and AI’s real role in project work, this episode is for you!

Sound Bites

• Regarding AI: "It cannot be the project manager. It's spineless. It is a weakling leader."
• "There is no such thing as a permanent job anymore."
• “Share what you know and people will be drawn to you for what you are sharing.”
• “Learn to make a resonating message. Learn how to share value.”
• “I never did this to become internet famous… What problem do I want to solve? That’s it.”
• “Because you don't understand how the algorithm works. You think your whole network's ignoring you, and in fact, all that's happened is maybe less than 10% of your network has seen the message before the algorithm realized that your message wasn't resonating.”
• “It will be the penny pinching execs who want to save a few dollars, who will take your job, and they'll replace it with a machine that can do 50% of your job for a fraction of your price, and they'll live with the 50% they can't do.”

Chapters

• 00:00 Start of Live Stream
• 02:13 Thoughts on Influencers and Thought Leaders
• 05:28 Deciding on Video Content
• 07:34 Views and Metrics
• 14:41 The Creative Process and Challenges
• 18:28 Sharing Knowledge and Building a Community
• 18:49 Navigating Social Media: The Good, The Bad, and The Trolls
• 19:18 Handling Criticism and Building Connections
• 24:37 The Role of AI in Project Management
• 29:10 The Future of Work: AI, Automation, and Adaptation
• 36:24 Staying Curious and Embracing Change

Learn More

You can learn more about Stuart and his work here:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/skt
• Website: InfluentialPMO.com
• YouTube: Stuart Taylor Project

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Topics: Leadership, Project Management, Content Strategy, Personal Branding, Career Development, LinkedIn, Artificial Intelligence, Communication, Influence, Stakeholder Engagement, Future Of Work, Creator Economy

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Echo by Alexander Nakarada
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Chillhouse by Frank Schroeter
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license