{"id":22549,"date":"2026-03-05T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/?p=22549"},"modified":"2026-03-12T14:39:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T21:39:44","slug":"the-frontier-firm-how-knowledge-workers-are-forging-their-own-ai-tools-at-microsoft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/the-frontier-firm-how-knowledge-workers-are-forging-their-own-ai-tools-at-microsoft\/","title":{"rendered":"The Frontier Firm: How knowledge workers are forging their own AI tools at Microsoft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowledge workers have all been there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe you\u2019re a product manager with a backlog that you can\u2019t ever get to. Perhaps you\u2019re a designer who can never seem to get engineering resources assigned to you. Or maybe you\u2019re a program manager who routinely gets stuck copying data between systems by hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-group aside-for-guide has-white-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-content-justification-right is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3f1abf08 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:10px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-12);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-12);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-12);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-12)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-298f84b7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"132\" height=\"132\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/10\/Engage-with-our-experts_blogs.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20636\" style=\"width:48px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-lg-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Engage with our experts!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-4)\">Customers or Microsoft account team representatives from Fortune 500 companies are welcome to <a href=\"mailto:msitstaff@microsoft.com\">request a virtual engagement<\/a> on this topic with experts from our Microsoft Digital team.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are common challenges knowledge workers face everywhere, including here at Microsoft. A year ago, AI enthusiasts knew agents with tools could fix these problems\u2014they just didn\u2019t know where to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of our employees in Microsoft Digital, the company\u2019s IT organization and <a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/inside-microsoft-being-customer-zero-in-an-ai-powered-world\/\">Customer Zero for the company<\/a>, took a grassroots approach to solving this problem. They built something called the Frontier Forge, our pro\u2011code \u201charness\u201d that enables our less-technical employees to get work done with agents. They use it to quickly build agentic instructions and instantly share their solutions with peers, which accelerates our productivity across the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Frontier Forge represents a cultural shift in how our product managers, designers, program managers and other \u201cI\u2019m not an engineer but I want to build stuff\u201d employees now apply AI tools directly to their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What first began as a hackathon experiment has evolved into a thriving Microsoft-internal community with nearly 100 engaged contributors, an active Teams channel, and a GitHub repository filled with templates, learning modules, and ready-to-use AI agents. The impact is measurable: Forecasting, backlog grooming and communication tasks that collectively took weeks now take hours or minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Brett-Reifers.png\" alt=\"A photo of Reifers.\" class=\"wp-image-22551\" style=\"width:150px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Brett-Reifers.png 500w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Brett-Reifers-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Brett-Reifers-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI saw myself and others spending too much of our time on data wrangling and admin tasks when we wanted to be strategizing. Nobody was building what felt truly agentic. So, we did it ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite>Brett Reifers, senior product manager, Microsoft Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees who never saw themselves as technical are now building sophisticated data visualizations, automating workflows, creating prototypes, and generating learning modules. These were capabilities previously reserved for specialized engineering teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u201cForge\u201d is where it\u2019s all happening now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From a hackathon to a movement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In early 2025, Brett Reifers, a senior product manager in Microsoft Digital, spotted a problem he couldn&#8217;t ignore. His peers, smart and driven product managers, kept asking the same question: &#8220;How do I use agents for my actual work?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beginner tutorials about prompt engineering felt trivial. Advanced agents with tools assumed engineering expertise. The middle ground, where AI meets real jobs, didn&#8217;t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI saw myself and others spending too much of our time on data wrangling and admin tasks when we wanted to be strategizing,&#8221; Reifers says. &#8220;Nobody was building what felt truly agentic. So, we did it ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, Reifers partnered with colleague Humberto Arias, a senior product manager in Microsoft Digital whose work explores the intersection of AI and productivity. Arias had been independently researching agentic solutions that could click through interfaces, open applications, and complete tasks autonomously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The insight that unlocked everything came from a deceptively simple observation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEverything on the internet is a form\u2014every site, mobile app, every click,\u201d Reifers says. \u201cIf agents could fill out my forms in Azure DevOps, they could handle any web-based task.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They pitched the concept of Copilot fulfilling form-based processes as an entry for <a href=\"https:\/\/techcommunity.microsoft.com\/blog\/mvp-blog\/microsoft-global-hackathon-2025-mvps-driving-innovation-across-communities\/4442513\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft\u2019s annual hackathon<\/a> to Sean MacDonald, partner director of product management in Microsoft Employee Experience. MacDonald immediately recognized its potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy reaction was simply, \u2018This sounds amazing,\u2019\u201d MacDonald says. \u201cThis solution was exactly what we needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event proved agents could automate PM workflows: managing Azure DevOps items, generating summaries, and querying data systems.&nbsp;After the hackathon&nbsp;validated the concept,&nbsp;Arias suggested pushing the project to GitHub for wider exposure.&nbsp;Reifers then used&nbsp;GitHub Copilot&nbsp;itself,&nbsp;recursively&nbsp;using&nbsp;the very tools they were building, to open source the first Frontier Forge repository&nbsp;in&nbsp;15&nbsp;minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A pro-code environment with natural language accessibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Forge combines GitHub Copilot, Visual Studio Code (VS Code), and MCPs into a framework that makes professional development tools easily accessible to non-engineers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Sean-MacDonald.png\" alt=\"A photo of MacDonald.\" class=\"wp-image-22552\" style=\"width:150px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Sean-MacDonald.png 500w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Sean-MacDonald-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Sean-MacDonald-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Frontier Forge is a place where you can learn regardless of your skill level. You can adopt what\u2019s out there, even if you don\u2019t know where to start.&#8221;<\/p>\n<cite>Sean MacDonald, partner director of product management, Microsoft Employee Experience<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The core idea: Give employees a workspace seeded with community-created templates, learning modules, and custom agents tailored to Microsoft Digital contexts. Then let them build from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For MacDonald, the Forge has proven to be an accessible entry point for almost anyone, regardless of experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Frontier Forge is a place where you can learn regardless of your skill level,\u201d MacDonald says. \u201cYou can adopt what\u2019s out there, even if you don\u2019t know where to start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"639\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Frontier-Firm-AI-tools.png\" alt=\"Screenshot showing GitHub Copilot connecting with VS Code. \" class=\"wp-image-22553\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.5649472402041962;width:1787px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Frontier-Firm-AI-tools.png 1000w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Frontier-Firm-AI-tools-300x192.png 300w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Frontier-Firm-AI-tools-768x491.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>GitHub Copilot connects chat to VS Code&#8217;s built-in and MCP tool capabilities. The custom agents and skills in the workspace can all benefit from contextual access to the right tools for the right job.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An architecture for context-first AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The technical architecture of The Frontier Forge leverages three layers simultaneously:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/code.visualstudio.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VS Code<\/a> provides the enterprise managed workspace where everything happens.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/features\/copilot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GitHub Copilot offers<\/a> chat functionality and AI assistance, with access to multiple models including Claude, GPT, and Gemini.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/protecting-ai-conversations-at-microsoft-with-model-context-protocol-security-and-governance\/\">Tools like Model Context Protocols (MCPs)<\/a> act as standardized connectors that let agents access tools, data, and services locally. This unlocked what Copilot could decide and do with user approval.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Humberto-Arias.png\" alt=\"A photo of Arias.\" class=\"wp-image-22554\" style=\"width:150px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Humberto-Arias.png 500w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Humberto-Arias-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Humberto-Arias-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith GitHub Copilot and MCPs, there are literally no boundaries. It\u2019s hard to explain just how transformational this can be for a product manager. Whatever you ask is transformed into code with a purpose, allowing you to do something you couldn\u2019t before.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite>Humberto Arias, senior product manager, Microsoft Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The MCPs connect to services like Azure DevOps (for roadmap planning and backlog management), Microsoft Documentation, Figma (for design work), and dozens of other platforms that are essential to product manager workflows. New MCPs appear daily, expanding capabilities organically as the community builds them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees can even ask GitHub Copilot to build custom MCPs for services lacking official integrations. When Arias needed a PowerPoint creator that didn\u2019t exist, he asked GitHub Copilot to create one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith GitHub Copilot and MCPs, there are literally no boundaries,\u201d Arias says. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to explain just how transformational this can be for a product manager. Whatever you ask is transformed into code with a purpose, allowing you to do something you couldn\u2019t before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shift from prompt engineering towards context engineering is another reason why the Forge works. Its workspace settings, agent instructions, skills and hooks provide a harness with guardrails that help colleagues adopt and use this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Forge provides a curated starting point: Microsoft Digital-specific templates, governance frameworks, security guidelines grounded in Microsoft\u2019s Responsible AI framework, and working examples employees can immediately use and modify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transformational impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The productivity gains generated by The Frontier Forge are very real. Our employees report saving weeks or even months on certain projects, especially those that previously required extensive manual work or specialized technical skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Case in point: Laura Oxford, a senior content program manager in Microsoft Digital, had four years\u2019 worth of Excel files and communication metrics reports. She had always intended to use the data to create marketing forecasts, but she could never find the necessary time or resources to perform the analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Laura-Oxford.png\" alt=\"A photo of Oxford.\" class=\"wp-image-22555\" style=\"width:150px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Laura-Oxford.png 500w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Laura-Oxford-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Laura-Oxford-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe key to creating the agent was going deep into the context. It was an iterative conversation, going back and forth to fine-tune the agent until I was consistently getting the output I wanted. But it truly was just a conversation\u2014no tech skills needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite>Laura Oxford, senior content program manager, Microsoft Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through iterative, conversation-based prompting, Oxford\u2019s agent analyzed patterns, created projections, and produced visualizations. Oxford now has a robust historical analysis that enables prediction of future campaign performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe key to creating the agent was going deep into the context,\u201d Oxford says. \u201cIt was an iterative conversation, going back and forth to fine-tune the agent until I was consistently getting the output I wanted. But it truly was just a conversation\u2014no tech skills needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Drafting clear, executive-ready communications for complex initiatives was what brought Mark Stratford, a senior product manager with the email and calendaring service team in Microsoft Digital, to the Forge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before the Forge, communicating status updates to leadership meant he had to manually synthesize data from CSVs, track several approval chains at once\u2014often in messy emails\u2014and iterate on visualizations for what seemed like days and days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put more succinctly, these tasks are time-consuming chores that are perfect for AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Forge&#8217;s architecture changes how you think about the problem,\u201d Stratford says. \u201cInstead of iterating on prompts, you declare intent and desired outcome. The Forge&#8217;s architecture handles the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using this pattern, Stratford created:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Over a dozen interactive dashboards for portfolio roadmaps, migration tracking, and service health monitoring.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Approval matrix visualizations mapping multi-stakeholder sign-off dependencies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Data analysis pipelines transforming raw telemetry into executive-ready narratives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Mark-Stratford-1.png\" alt=\"A photo of Stratford. \" class=\"wp-image-22679\" style=\"width:150px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Mark-Stratford-1.png 500w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Mark-Stratford-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2026\/03\/Mark-Stratford-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I didn&#8217;t need to fight ambiguity or handhold the model. The architecture gave the agent a stable, skills-driven foundation from the start, which dramatically accelerated development time and improved clarity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<cite>Mark Stratford, senior product manager, Microsoft Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Forge&#8217;s clean separation between intent, constraints, tools, and data inputs eliminated the prompt-tuning loop. Stratford mapped his objectives into the agent framework once, relying on built-in structure and guardrails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His analysis and drafting time dropped from days to minutes. Outputs like roadmaps and data visualizations went directly into decision workflows with no manual cleanup required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI didn&#8217;t need to fight ambiguity or handhold the model,\u201d Stratford says. \u201cThe architecture gave the agent a stable, skills-driven foundation from the start, which dramatically accelerated development time and improved clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building community and sharing knowledge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A simple continuously improving repository has grown into something larger: a community of nearly 100 enthusiasts. Contributors are building templates, learning modules, and specialized MCPs tailored to their job functions. Teams are sharing wins and unlocked achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt its core, The Frontier Forge is an open-source, community\u2011driven experience. It\u2019s a safer environment that will help people learn and apply Microsoft\u2019s AI at work.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite>Brett Reifers, senior product manager, Microsoft Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Forge succeeds because of its emphasis on community and knowledge sharing. Its GitHub repository serves as collaborative workspace where employees contribute agents, templates, and learning resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This sharing culture creates a compounding cycle. One employee\u2019s outcome becomes another\u2019s starting point. Contributors share useful agents immediately, without lengthy approvals. This grassroots approach lets innovation spread at the pace of curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt its core, The Frontier Forge is an open-source, community\u2011driven experience,\u201d Reifers says. \u201cThe Forge is a safer environment that will help people learn and apply Microsoft\u2019s AI at work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building a safe-to-fail path<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For IT leaders looking to replicate something like the Forge, MacDonald\u2019s guidance starts with reframing the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFind the people who are super curious and who want to learn. They will be the ones who drive innovation with AI agents and other newly developed tools.\u201d<\/p>\n<cite>Sean MacDonald, partner director of product management, Microsoft Employee Experience<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The barrier to agent adoption for non-engineering roles isn\u2019t access to tools. It\u2019s all about giving them the confidence needed to build them and then put them to work. Providing a safe, hands-on environment where people can learn at their own pace, regardless of skill level, has been an essential key to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another key has been to empower the people in your organization who are eager to innovate and try new things. The Forge began with two curious product managers who decided to experiment and then shared their idea with peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFind the people who are super curious and who want to learn,\u201d MacDonald says. \u201cThey will be the ones who drive innovation with AI agents and other newly developed tools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For IT leaders currently trying to prepare their organizations for an AI-driven future, the story shows that the answer isn\u2019t to wait around for perfect tools or comprehensive employee training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe leaders that create safe spaces for non-engineers to build with AI now will compound that advantage for years,\u201d Reifers says. \u201cThe ones that wait will spend 2027 trying to catch-up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our knowledge workers don\u2019t need to wait for help any longer, now they can forge their own path with an agent or other AI tool they build themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c0392459 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7db9d80f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"190\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Key-takeaways-badge.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19493\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:75px;height:75px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Key-takeaways-badge.png 190w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Key-takeaways-badge-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-xl-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-24);margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-24)\">Key takeaways<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some insights your leaders can use to build grassroots-led, AI-forward communities in your organization:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Start with volunteers, not mandates.<\/strong> The Forge grew to 100 contributors with zero top-down requirements. Organic growth from curious employees creates sustainable adoption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Highlight your quick wins.<\/strong> Reifers\u2019 and Arias\u2019 live demos of MCPs, Oxford&#8217;s 90-minute forecast and Stratford&#8217;s 20-minute drafts became the recruiting pitch for the next wave of adopters. Show your people results like these, then hand them the tools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Lower barriers without lowering standards.<\/strong> Accessibility and quality aren&#8217;t mutually exclusive. Governance and security are non-negotiable. Configure it all into the harness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Prioritize knowledge sharing and attribution.<\/strong> When one person solves a problem and shares it, dozens benefit immediately. Reward provenance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Ship fast, improve later.<\/strong> The Forge repo was built in 15 minutes. Four months later, it contained 50+ templates and agents. As much of 80% what is produced in the Forge is rewritten every other week as tools evolve. Ship MVPs and evolve based on real usage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>Reframe outcomes > tools.<\/strong> Shifting from &#8220;developer tool&#8221; to &#8220;Copilot workspace&#8221; helps knowledge workers see they belong.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c0392459 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7db9d80f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"190\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Try-it-out-badge.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19492\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:75px;height:75px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Try-it-out-badge.png 190w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Try-it-out-badge-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-xl-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-24);margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-24)\">Try it out<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/features\/copilot\/?OCID=InsideTrack_Product_10817\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Start building and sharing AI agents today with GitHub Copilot.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c0392459 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7db9d80f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"190\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Related-links-badge.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19491\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:75px;height:75px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Related-links-badge.png 190w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Related-links-badge-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-xl-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-24);margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-24)\">Related links<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-20)\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/powering-agentic-ai-adoption-at-microsoft-our-customer-zero-story\/\">See how we enable Microsoft employees to build AI agents that help them complete important tasks.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/azure\/developer\/github-copilot-azure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about GitHub Copilot for Azure.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/the-future-of-work-is-here-transforming-our-employee-experience-with-ai\/\">Discover how we\u2019re transforming our employee experience with AI.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/training\/paths\/work-power-virtual-agents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Take a course on building AI agents for beginners in GitHub Copilot.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/unleashing-api-powered-agents-at-microsoft-our-internal-learnings-and-a-step-by-step-guide\/\">Follow our step-by-step guide to building API-powered agents.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/defining-the-future-how-were-building-an-ai-powered-continuous-improvement-culture-at-microsoft\/\">Find out how continuous improvement helps us identify agentic opportunities, and how it can help your company, too.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c0392459 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7db9d80f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"190\" height=\"190\" src=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Wed-like-to-hear-from-you-badge.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19490\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:75px;height:75px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Wed-like-to-hear-from-you-badge.png 190w, https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/uploads\/prod\/2025\/07\/Wed-like-to-hear-from-you-badge-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-xl-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-24);margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-24)\">We&#8217;d like to hear from you!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--spacing-20)\" class=\"wp-block-list is-style-list-no-bullets\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"mailto:msitstaff@microsoft.com\">Want more information? Email us and include a link to this story and we\u2019ll get back to you.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Knowledge workers have all been there. Maybe you\u2019re a product manager with a backlog that you can\u2019t ever get to. Perhaps you\u2019re a designer who can never seem to get engineering resources assigned to you. Or maybe you\u2019re a program manager who routinely gets stuck copying data between systems by hand. Engage with our experts! [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":227,"featured_media":22557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_hide_featured_on_single":false,"_show_featured_caption_on_single":true,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[199,868,822,89,597,850,852,827,851],"coauthors":[894],"class_list":["post-22549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-ai","tag-ai-deployment-and-adoption","tag-corporate-functions","tag-digital-transformation","tag-employee-experience","tag-end-user-services-and-support","tag-it-and-business-operations","tag-microsoft-365-copilot","tag-tenant-management","m-blog-post"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with 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