69: Using AI at Work with Peter Swimm: From SaaS to Conversational Workflows

Listen to this episode from Using AI at Work: AI in the Workplace & Generative AI for Business Leaders on Spotify. Chris Daigle sits down with Peter Swimm, founder of Toilville, to explore how conversational AI and local models are transforming the way we work. With over 25 years in tech, including time at Microsoft designing Copilot products, Peter shares how he built an AI-first workflow that replaced dozens of SaaS tools with personalized, voice-driven automation.He talks about his week-long experiment of running his business entirely through conversational AI, what it taught him about productivity, and why the future of apps may be modular, API-driven, and built on personal ownership of data. From helping small businesses adopt AI responsibly to envisioning a post-SaaS world where you own your own tooling, Peter explains how leaders can think in AI and find competitive advantages without falling into the tech hype.This conversation is packed with insights for founders, executives, and teams curious about what practical, day-to-day AI adoption looks like when built with sustainability, ethics, and real business needs in mind.🔎 Find Out More About Peter Swimm and ToilvillePeter Swimm on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterswimm Toilville - https://www.itstoilville.com/ 🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeClaude by Anthropic - https://claude.ai/ ChatGPT - https://openai.com/chatgpt Notion - https://www.notion.com/ 📌 Chapters00:00 - Introduction to Peter Swimm02:05 - From Microsoft to Building Toilville03:42 - What Conversational AI Really Means09:11 - Why Apps as We Know Them Are Dying12:23 - Running a Business with Voice-Only AI14:45 - Regaining Control of Notifications and Workflow17:13 - Building Custom Tools with Claude23:04 - The Case for Open Sharing and Local Models26:09 - Reimagining Workflows Beyond SaaS34:12 - Running Lean Teams with AI36:21 - Rethinking Work Paradigms and Productivity42:21 - The Future of Apps and Personal Data Control44:27 - How to Connect with Peter SwimmEpisode tags:AI in the workplace, Conversational AI, Voice AI productivity, Small business AI adoption, Local AI models, Replacing SaaS with AI, Real-world AI applications, Building with Claude, Executive AI strategy, Future of apps, AI for small teams, AI workflow automation