Sidecar Blog

Experimentation

A minimalist illustration of an empty 24/7 hotel front desk at night, with brochures, a bell, a laptop, a lamp, and a star-filled window.

7 min read

Your Members' Expectations Are Being Set by Amazon, Not Your Peers

Mallory Mejias: Mar 25, 2026 6:30:00 AM

Your members don't compare your website to other association websites. They compare it to every other digital experience they have in a day —...

Abstract diptych showing geometric pathways evolving from scattered shapes on the left into an interconnected, harmonious network on the right, rendered in coral, teal, and charcoal with a mid-century modern style.

3 min read

Why Workflow Thinking Beats Chatbot Thinking in Association AI

Mallory Mejias: Jan 12, 2026 4:51:26 PM

When association leaders decide to "do something with AI," the default instinct is predictable: build a chatbot. It makes sense on the surface....

Artificial Intelligence Leadership Experimentation Enterprise Value

Sidecar Sync Podcast episode 116 cover featuring Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias

29 min read

The 95% Problem: Fixing What’s Broken in Enterprise AI | [Sidecar Sync Episode 116]

Mallory Mejias: Jan 12, 2026 4:21:34 PM

Summary: In this episode of the Sidecar Sync, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dig into the startling findings of a recent MIT study: 95% of...

Artificial Intelligence Sidecar Sync Podcast Experimentation

A humanoid robot with a neutral, slightly bored expression scans receipts at a desk with a small blue-lit scanner, coffee mug, and desk plant in a bright office.

5 min read

Why "Boring AI" Wins: The Early Mover Advantage for Associations

Mallory Mejias: Oct 8, 2025 6:30:00 AM

AI can generate photorealistic videos. Write entire novels. Pass the bar exam. These capabilities make headlines and dominate conference keynotes....

Artificial Intelligence Experimentation Automation

Isometric illustration of gray and blue geometric blocks labeled “renewal,” “registration,” “proposals,” and “routing,” partially assembled into a larger structure against a light gray background, symbolizing progress and modular construction.

7 min read

Claude 4.5 Sonnet: The AI That Can Actually Build Your Software

Mallory Mejias: Oct 6, 2025 10:20:38 AM

You know that moment when your board approves a website redesign, you collect quotes ranging from $200,000 to $800,000, and the timelines all stretch...

Artificial Intelligence AI-Assisted Software Development Experimentation

Cartoon-style naval battle in fog: left ship fires multiple cannonballs, one glowing shot arcs across water and hits right ship, causing a peach-colored explosion.

4 min read

From Bullets to Cannonballs: Why Your Association's AI Experiments Aren't Scaling

Mallory Mejias: Jul 10, 2025 5:07:50 PM

Year one: Let's experiment with AI! Education staff use AI for course descriptions. The membership department uses AI to draft renewal emails.

Artificial Intelligence Leadership Organizational Culture Experimentation

Photo of four business professionals in a modern lab interacting with labeled beakers representing AI, Disruption, and Transformation.

7 min read

The Thought Experiment Every Association Leader Should Try: Build a Competitor to Your Own Organization

Mallory Mejias: Jul 8, 2025 11:18:53 AM

Here's the reality: There's a version of your association that costs less to run, serves members faster, and delivers personalized value at scale....

Artificial Intelligence Leadership Organizational Culture Experimentation

Overhead view of a business professional at a desk using a laptop, casting a robotic, circuit-patterned shadow symbolizing AI integration.

8 min read

The Leadership-Lab-Crowd Framework: A New Model for AI Transformation in Associations

Mallory Mejias: Jul 7, 2025 3:26:50 PM

Here's a frustrating reality: Your team members are quietly achieving 2-3x productivity gains with AI, cutting tasks that used to take hours down to...

Artificial Intelligence Leadership Organizational Culture Experimentation