The Spatial Race: Why Most Companies Are Stuck in Pilot Purgatory

Immersive technology isn't a future trend anymore. It's becoming infrastructure.

In this episode of The Media Machine, Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading sit down with XR strategist, founder, and author Cortney Harding to unpack why so many companies talk about innovation but struggle to actually scale it.

Cortney has spent years building immersive training systems used in healthcare, enterprise, and safety environments where outcomes matter. Her work focuses on how AI and spatial computing can transform how people learn, train, and make decisions under pressure.

She's also the author of The Spatial Race, a book that argues spatial computing will become an invisible layer in the way we work and learn.

But according to Cortney, the biggest barrier isn't the technology.

It's organizations.

Many companies invest in innovation pilots to appear forward-thinking but fail to design systems that scale across the organization. Cortney calls this phenomenon "pilot purgatory."

In this conversation, we explore why immersive technology projects stall, how spatial computing is already transforming training and education, and what operators should be paying attention to next.

We also dive into the future of work, the role of AI in reshaping learning systems, and why the most valuable skill in the next decade may simply be the ability to solve problems independently.

PURCHASE BOOK: HERE

ABOUT THE GUEST

Cortney Harding is a strategist, immersive technology leader, and author working at the intersection of media, AI, and spatial computing. She designs immersive learning and training systems used across healthcare, enterprise, and safety environments where performance and decision-making matter. With more than a decade of experience helping organizations apply emerging technologies to real-world challenges, Cortney focuses on how spatial computing and AI can transform how people learn, work, and solve problems. She is also the author of The Spatial Race, which explores how spatial computing is becoming the next infrastructure layer for knowledge, labor, and human learning.

• Why so many innovation initiatives never scale
• Why technology should never be the starting point
• The real use cases for immersive technology
• Why innovation rarely works as a top-down mandate
• What the future of education might look like
• Why creativity and independent thinking may become the most valuable career skills
• Why smart glasses may be the next major computing platform

• Innovation fails when companies focus on performing innovation instead of scaling it
• Spatial computing is shifting from novelty to infrastructure
• Technology should always be the last decision, not the first
• Organizations need systems that allow pilots to trigger large-scale adoption
• The future workforce will reward builders, problem-solvers, and generalists
• Smart glasses may become the next major interface for computing

• "A lot of innovation today is really just performing innovation."
• "Technology is a tool. The first question should always be: what problem are we solving?"
• "Companies can lag on technology for a long time, and then suddenly they get crushed."
• "The most important skill in the future will be the ability to figure things out."
• "Kids need to learn how to solve problems, not just stare at screens."

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Johanna Salazar is a media systems builder with more than two decades of experience operating across television, streaming, sports, and digital platforms. She brings an operator's lens to the industry, breaking down how media systems function and how decisions and incentives shape outcomes.

Julie Kellman Reading is a creative executive, executive producer, and founder with experience spanning linear television, digital content, and independent ventures. She brings a people-first perspective and deep creative insight into how media is built, scaled, and sustained.

Together, they guide conversations designed to help operators see what is coming next and act with calm confidence.

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• Created by: Johanna Salazar
• Hosts: Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading
• Executive Producers: Johanna Salazar and Julie Kellman Reading
• Edited by: Love + Daydreams, Canvas Films Colombia, Adriana Saravia

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HOST SOCIALS

Johanna Salazar

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Julie Kellman Reading

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveanddaydreams/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliekellmanreading/
• Website: https://www.loveanddaydreams.com

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ABOUT THE PODCAST

THE MEDIA MACHINE is a strategy podcast that breaks down how media really works. Each episode goes inside the systems, deals, and decisions shaping the future of media, tech, and content. The goal is not to react faster, but to see more clearly, understand long-term shifts, and make smarter short-term decisions. This show is for operators, builders, and decision-makers who want signal over noise, clarity over hype, and confidence over urgency.