Episode #54: From Experiment to Impact: Lessons on Leading Through the AI Transition

Missing Conversations

Leading through the AI transition isn’t just about adopting new tools—it’s about unlocking new ways of thinking, collaborating, and growing. Wai Hong Fong, co-founder and chieftain of StoreHub, is doing exactly that. In this vibrant conversation with Altus Growth Partners’ Pam Fox Rollin and Sharon Richmond, he shares how adopting AI has sparked surprising breakthroughs. From selling on eBay at 21 to now leading a fast-scaling tech company serving 18,000+ businesses across Southeast Asia, Wai Hong invites us into his deeply reflective and refreshingly candid leadership journey. He unpacks what it really takes to lead through the AI transition, as he shares how he has and continues to build AI into the heart of his company’s operations, culture, and mindset.

Key Moments You’ll Want to Hear:

01:32 – How a mission to serve small businesses became a purpose-driven tech company now leading boldly through AI. 03:15 – Early lessons in self-awareness, communication, and team connection that continue to shape Wai Hong’s leadership today. 06:55 – Navigating the growth curve: how StoreHub rediscovered its core values and aligned its culture for what’s next. 12:05 – A turning point in the AI journey: why now is a powerful time for leaders to reimagine how work gets done. 14:11 – A breakthrough moment: how hands-on experimentation with AI created new possibilities—faster than anyone expected. 24:40 – Elevating performance with AI: what sets the most effective users apart and how to grow your team’s fluency. 28:31 – The mindset shift that changes everything: seeing AI not just as a tool, but as a creative teammate. 33:12 – What conversations are missing in the AI transition—and how leaders can open the door to clarity, learning, and opportunity. 38:19 – Surprising results from a company hackathon: how non-engineers unlocked innovation with AI—and what it can mean for your team. 40:33 – Rethinking leadership for the AI transition: how today’s CEOs can stay grounded, curious, and ahead of the curve. 45:24 – Reimagining collaboration: how AI and human teams can work better together with clarity, purpose, and shared learning. 54:32 – Encouragement for the road ahead: why learning in community and experimenting with curiosity are the keys to thriving in this transition.

It's like this AI tsunami is coming, and everyone's chilling on the beach. Just jump into the boat!

🎧 Ready for a conversation that offers practical insight and an encouraging path forward grounded in curiosity, experimentation, and shared learning? Have a listen.

About Wai Hong Fong

Wai Hong Fong is the Chieftain and Co-Founder of StoreHub, a fast-scaling SaaS platform powering over 18,000 retail and F&B businesses across Southeast Asia. A systems builder at heart—whether in SaaS architecture or leadership culture—Wai Hong specializes in building purposeful, profitable businesses by rewiring how teams operate: fewer silos, faster decisions, more ownership. From team dynamics to the AI transition, he’s hands-on in transforming complexity into momentum.

You can connect with Wai Hong here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waihongfong/.

About Altus Growth Partners

At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results.

We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It’s in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose.

Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what’s possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them.

You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/

About the Book

Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams.

Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book strengthens your ability to see what’s needed and take effective action:

• What two promises turn a group into a team.

• How to engage people to make those promises.

• How to invite responsibility and accountability.

• How to include and inspire people across differences.

• How to build and rebuild trust, and more!

Regardless of how productive your teams are today, the insights in this book will help you grow to the next level to drive your business or organization forward. Order your copy today!

Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Groups-into-Teams-Real-life-ebook/dp/B0CJLC23VS

Order directly: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?l8SxF4Aexn9gq08iz7jFBbwutleujrftoZ2wAOFzCVH

If you're looking to expand your leadership influence, shift your results, and develop a highly engaged, accountable team, we’d love to talk to you. Schedule a conversation with an Altus Team Member here: https://calendly.com/prollin-altusgrowth/zoom-video-30-min.

Follow us on social media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners https://www.facebook.com/AltusGrowth https://www.instagram.com/altusgrowthpartners/

Keywords:

#AITransition #AI #AI Innovation #Leadership #Collaboration #AIAutomation #AILearning #AIImpact #AIFuture