Talking Out Our Assets: Real-World Conversations About Data, AI, and the Asset

A podcast for the people that keep assets running in 2026

February 11, 2026

Talking Out Our Assets is XOi’s new podcast dedicated to honest, unfiltered conversations about what data, artificial intelligence, and technology actually mean for the skilled trades—and where they truly belong in the real world.

Hosted by J.P. Cahalan, a day-one XOi team member with over a decade of hands-on experience working alongside technicians and contractors, the podcast cuts through the hype. This isn’t about chasing buzzwords or forcing technology where it doesn’t fit. It’s about challenging the status quo, asking better questions, and grounding innovation in the realities of rooftops, mechanical rooms, and jobsites.

We created this podcast because the industry is at an inflection point. Technology and artificial intelligence are accelerating fast—but adoption without intention doesn’t serve technicians, businesses, or the asset. Talking Out Our Assets exists to explore where technology adds real value, where it doesn’t, and how data can be used responsibly to support the people who keep the world running.

Expect candid conversations, strong opinions, and practical insights rooted in respect for the men and women doing the work. No softball questions. No polished sales pitches. Just real talk about the future of field service—and how to build it the right way.

J.P Cahalan Intro Transcript:

J.P. Cahalan (00:00) Hey guys, welcome to Talking Out of Our Assets, the real world data and AI podcast. First off, I just want to thank everybody for taking the time to listen. I know there's a lot that you could be listening to out there. There's a lot of things you could be turning on, a lot of different voices you could hear. You've chosen to listen to us and we very much appreciate that.

Before we get into the first episode, I want to take a moment and introduce myself. My name is JP Cahalan and I've been with XOi Technologies since day one. For those of you unfamiliar with XOi, XOi is built to be a tool for the men and women in the skilled trades.

There's a lot of pressure, a lot of things that the men and women on the front lines go through to make sure that we all get to sit in air conditioned spaces, have enough heat, have enough this, have enough that. And we want to make sure at XOi that we are providing them tools that give them value first. And that value then gets felt by the business and ultimately the end customer. That's what we do at XOi.

Now there's a little bit of nuance into this as we think about what the world has become. Data and AI and technology as a whole has really put its foot on the gas. And we need to talk about these things and make sure that we are not just accepting the status quo.

So why did they give me a podcast? Well, I think it's because they view me as pretty unfiltered. I'm going to say things and it may offend people. It may not be the right thing. My own company may disagree with the approach that I take, but that's what is needed. We need to make sure that we are challenging what is happening and we are asking the appropriate questions.

The other reason I think they have is I've had the privilege of working with hundreds, if not thousands of technicians in the last decade. I have sat in offices of many different contractors around this country and into Canada and over in Europe. And there is a true appreciation for the men and women that actually run these companies and ensure that they are providing their teams with the appropriate guidance and the appropriate tools to get the job done as best as they can.

I can tell you this, as we go through this journey and as we get into these episodes and we start having these conversations with people, this is not going to be a bunch of softball shit where I'm saying, hey, tell me why XOi is great. We're going to be challenging things. I firmly believe that yes, AI is a very valuable tool, but it's a valuable tool in certain places.

And we need to make sure that what we are giving you is a completely unbiased view as to where technology should be placed and the types of things we should be using it for. You've heard me say previously, if you've ever been in a meeting with me, we never want to put a square peg into a round hole. And that applies to a lot of different things, but it definitely applies here.

Everybody and their mother is saying, well, let's use AI. Let's use AI. What does that even mean? Because as we go through this journey, and as you can probably tell, I am very unfiltered, but it's also a casual environment where we talk about the realities of what technology means and what we should be doing with it.

It is not sunshine and rainbows. A lot of people out there do not like technology when they are on a roof in a mechanical room. They want to be doing the job they're paid to do and working with the customers and solving those issues.

So as we talk about this, we're going to get real, we're going to get honest, and we're going to talk about that big giant elephant in the room. With all that being said, let's go ahead and get into it…