For more on building AI products and careers, along with early course announcement and special pricing, subscribe to the AI Career Boost mailing list at https://aicareerboost.com/interested

THE GUEST

Arun Biligiri has more than two decades of experience turning emerging technology into business outcomes. He has founded startups and held leadership roles across product management, sales engineering, services, and development at companies including IBM and Hitachi, managing large P&Ls and driving significant new revenue. He is now the founder of Mitova.ai, an AI-native innovation platform focused on helping organizations manage and scale AI innovation.

THE SUMMARY

In this episode of AI Product Leader, Arun shares practical lessons on building successful AI products and managing innovation at scale. He explains why product-market fit and market timing matter more than the technology itself, and how AI is lowering the cost of prototyping while enabling people across an organization—not just engineers—to become builders.

Arun also discusses how leaders can manage an influx of AI-generated ideas, the balance between being a strategic leader and getting hands-on, and his experience building a production AI product after decades away from programming. He explains how he uses AI for planning, cost modeling, design, testing, and iterative development—and why AI's greatest value may be helping teams make better product decisions before they build.

THE SHOW

Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.

THE LINKS

Have a question you want us to answer? Send it through to support@aicareerboost.com

Arun Biligiri
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biligiri/

My links
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/⁠
AI Career Boost: ⁠https://www.aicareerboost.com/⁠

August 26th Free Masterclass: https://www.aicareerboost.com/master-ai-leadership

For more on building AI products and careers, along with early course announcement and special pricing, subscribe to the AI Career Boost mailing list at https://aicareerboost.com/interested

THE GUEST

Jeff Williams is a senior product leader with more than 25 years of experience in software and technology, including over a decade in product management. With a degree in computer science, he has led zero-to-one product launches, large-scale digital transformation programs, and enterprise platform initiatives across healthcare, SaaS, e-commerce, and patient engagement.

His recent work has focused on healthcare technology, including interoperability, digital engagement, and products that support complex patient and provider workflows. He has held roles at Deloitte Digital, Loyal Healthcare, and WEX, and now works at OpenLoop, an AI-first healthcare company.

Jeff brings a valuable perspective for product leaders because he made the shift into an AI-focused role after building practical AI experience himself. His story shows how experienced product professionals can develop hands-on AI skills, speak credibly about their work, and apply those skills inside a fast-moving company.

THE SUMMARY

In this episode, Jeff shares what it takes to move from traditional product management into an AI-first environment, including the skills, habits, and hands-on experience that helped him make the shift. He explains how OpenLoop uses tools such as Claude across product, engineering, sales, customer success, and operations to reduce manual work, improve communication, update product documentation, manage Jira workflows, and help teams move faster.

The conversation also covers how Jeff built practical AI experience before landing the role, why product leaders need to become more hands-on, and how building a real AI project helped him speak credibly in interviews. Viewers will come away with concrete ideas for using AI in daily product work and preparing for leadership roles at AI-focused companies.

THE SHOW

Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.

THE LINKS

Have a question you want us to answer? Send it through to support@aicareerboost.com

Jeff Williams
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffawilliams/

My links
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/⁠
AI Career Boost: ⁠https://www.aicareerboost.com/⁠

August 12th Free Masterclass: https://www.aicareerboost.com/master-ai-leadership-2

For more on building AI products and careers, along with early course announcement and special pricing, subscribe to the AI Career Boost mailing list at https://aicareerboost.com/interested

THE GUEST

Viktoria Otstavnaya is a Principal Product Manager specializing in modernizing complex systems and leading large-scale product transformations across telecom, fintech, healthcare, and utilities. Throughout her career, she's helped organizations dramatically reduce product launch times, accelerate customer onboarding, and deliver operational improvements through strong product leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

With a background in software engineering and early experience applying AI to automate complex business processes, Viktoria brings a practical perspective on how product managers can successfully adopt AI, work effectively with AI vendors, and build confidence through hands-on experimentation.

THE SUMMARY

In this episode, Viktoria shares how her career evolved from Android development to product management, why understanding technology at a deeper level makes product leaders more effective, and how she began working with AI years before generative AI became mainstream. She discusses real-world lessons from integrating AI into enterprise products, including how product managers can get better results from third-party AI solutions by understanding vendor configurations, APIs, and implementation best practices.

The conversation also explores the human side of AI adoption. Viktoria reflects on the fear many professionals feel about falling behind, explains how practical projects helped her build confidence, and offers advice for anyone looking to develop AI skills. Whether you're leading AI products today or preparing for your first AI initiative, this episode offers actionable guidance on learning, experimenting, and staying effective in a rapidly changing field.

THE SHOW

Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.

THE LINKS

Have a question you want us to answer? Send it through to support@aicareerboost.com

Viktoria Otstavnaya
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viktoria-otstavnaya/

My links
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/⁠
AI Career Boost: ⁠https://www.aicareerboost.com/⁠

For more on building AI products and careers, along with early course announcement and special pricing, subscribe to the AI Career Boost mailing list at https://aicareerboost.com/interested

THE GUEST

Anne Cantera is the founder of Elementyl Intelligence, where she helps organizations turn AI from a buzzword into practical, production-ready products and systems. With expertise spanning conversational AI, voice AI, enterprise AI agents, conversation design, and AI product strategy, she has led large-scale AI initiatives across industries including legal technology, telecommunications, and healthcare. She is also the creator of Voice of AI, a free learning platform that helps designers, product managers, developers, and other professionals build practical AI skills for today's rapidly changing job market; and an active member of the Agentics Foundation community. Drawing on both technical and business experience, Anne brings a pragmatic perspective on what it really takes to build AI products that people trust and use.

THE SUMMARY

In this episode of AI Product Leader, Anne and Polly explore what separates successful AI initiatives from the many projects that struggle to deliver value. They discuss why simply adding generative AI to an existing product isn't a strategy, how user experience and conversation design play a critical role in AI adoption, and why organizations need to think beyond technology to build systems that work across voice, chat, human support, and other customer touchpoints. Anne also explains why enterprise AI projects often fail before they begin and how the right planning and expertise can save both time and money.

The conversation also looks at the future of AI careers and product development. Anne shares why she launched Voice of AI to make AI education accessible, the practical skills she believes professionals should be learning today, and how AI is reshaping opportunities for designers, product managers, and developers alike. Finally, she offers her perspective on where AI is heading next. From adaptive user interfaces and personal AI assistants to the growing importance of trust, security, and building products that people genuinely want to use. Whether you're leading AI initiatives, building AI products, or preparing for the next stage of your career, this episode offers practical insights grounded in real-world experience.

THE SHOW

Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.

THE LINKS

Have a question you want us to answer? Send it through to support@aicareerboost.com

Anne Cantera
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-cantera/

My links
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/⁠
AI Career Boost: ⁠https://www.aicareerboost.com/⁠

For more on building AI products and careers, along with early course announcement and special pricing, subscribe to the AI Career Boost mailing list at https://aicareerboost.com/interested

THE GUEST

Kirstin Maurer is a healthcare and AI product leader with more than 18 years of experience building enterprise software, digital health platforms, and AI-powered products. During her time at Truepill, she helped scale a $20M telehealth platform and introduced generative AI capabilities that reduced post-call documentation time by 75%. Today, she is the founder of ALS Care Companion, an AI platform designed to provide people living with ALS and their caregivers with trusted, accessible support 24/7. Drawing on both professional expertise and personal experience with ALS in her own family, Kirstin is building technology that addresses real-world healthcare challenges.

THE SUMMARY

In this episode of AI Product Leader, Kirstin shares how her family's experience with ALS inspired her to create ALS Care Companion, an AI-powered care navigation platform built from more than 67 trusted medical and advocacy sources. She explains why generative AI makes it possible for individuals to tackle meaningful problems that may not have been commercially viable just a few years ago, and why healthcare remains full of opportunities for AI to improve patient and caregiver experiences.

Kirstin also reflects on her own transition into AI, from casually using tools for research and brainstorming to diving deep into hands-on experimentation, taking courses, and launching a production system used by dozens of families. She discusses how building something tangible transformed her confidence, helped her secure her first director-level role, and gave her a compelling story to share in interviews.

Throughout the conversation, Kirstin offers practical advice for product leaders looking to grow their AI skills: choose a problem you genuinely care about, start building before you feel ready, and learn through experimentation. Whether you're trying to break into AI, advance your career, or create products with meaningful impact, this episode provides a candid look at what it takes to turn curiosity into real-world experience.

THE SHOW

Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.

THE LINKS

Have a question you want us to answer? Send it through to support@aicareerboost.com

Kirstin Maurer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstin-hartos-maurer/
ALS Care Companion: https://www.linkedin.com/company/als-care-companion/
Empower Your Digital Journey: Cybersecurity Basics & AI Tools for the ALS Community: https://www.als.org/webinars/empower-your-digital-journey-cybersecurity-basics-ai-tools-als-community

My links
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/⁠
AI Career Boost: ⁠https://www.aicareerboost.com/⁠

For more on building AI products and careers, along with early course announcement and special pricing, subscribe to the AI Career Boost mailing list at https://aicareerboost.com/interested

THE GUEST

Nico Posner, VP of Product Management at Q3D Sensing and a veteran product leader whose career spans some of the world’s most innovative companies, including LinkedIn, eBay, Clover, and Xero.

Nico has spent years leading technology and AI-driven product innovation across industries, helping scale products from early-stage concepts to global adoption. At Q3D Sensing, he’s now focused on the next frontier of AI: capturing and digitizing the real world through advanced LiDAR and spatial sensing technology.

With deep experience in AI, predictive analytics, product strategy, and emerging technology, Nico brings a unique perspective on how real-world data is becoming the foundation for the next generation of AI systems, robotics, construction tech, digital twins, and spatial computing.

THE SUMMARY

What happens when AI moves beyond text and begins interacting with the physical world?

Nico Posner breaks down why the future of AI depends on accurate, real-world spatial data — and how LiDAR technology is unlocking entirely new possibilities across industries.

The conversation explores the launch of Q3D Sensing’s new OraGo 3D reality capture LiDAR sensor and why accessible, affordable spatial sensing could become a foundational layer for AI-powered workflows. Nico explains how modern LiDAR systems work, why current enterprise solutions are often too expensive or impractical, and how new tools are democratizing access to high-quality 3D data capture.

Polly and Nico also dive into:

• The growing role of real-world data in AI systems
• How LiDAR enables digital twins, robotics, construction intelligence, and spatial computing
• The difference between consumer-grade scanning and professional LiDAR systems
• Why edge processing and on-device rendering matter for enterprise workflows
• How AI is accelerating innovation, product strategy, research, and operations
• The future of AI-powered infrastructure, warehouses, and physical environments
• Lessons from building products at both startups and global technology companies
• The importance of solving real customer pain points when developing AI products

This is a fascinating look at the intersection of AI, hardware, spatial computing, and product innovation — and why the next wave of AI breakthroughs may depend less on prompts and more on understanding the physical world around us.

THE SHOW

Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.

THE LINKS

Have a question you want us to answer? Send it through to support@aicareerboost.com

Nico Posner
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoposner/

Q3D Sensing Website: https://www.q3dsensing.com/

Q3D Sensing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/q3d-sensing/

My links
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/⁠

AI Career Boost: ⁠https://www.aicareerboost.com/⁠

For more on building AI products and careers, along with early course announcement and special pricing, subscribe to the AI Career Boost mailing list at https://aicareerboost.com/interested

THE GUEST

Bill Takacs is a veteran product executive with over two decades of experience building and scaling platforms across SaaS, security, analytics, AI, and enterprise infrastructure. He’s currently VP of Product at MTrain, where he leads product and engineering—growing the business past $10M+ ARR, cutting platform costs by 50%, and doubling team velocity. A proven zero-to-one operator and turnaround leader, Bill’s background includes roles at Salesforce, AOL Instant Messenger, O’Reilly Media, HP, and multiple venture-backed companies. He’s also a former U.S. Army Ranger and Captain, bringing a unique blend of disciplined execution and bold innovation. In this episode, we’ll dive into operationalizing AI in enterprise products, scaling efficiently, and leading high-impact product teams.

THE SUMMARY

If you’re not adopting AI, you’re already behind: This isn’t incremental tech — it’s a step-change. Companies that treat AI as a “nice-to-have” efficiency tool will lose to AI-native competitors with lower costs, faster execution, and fundamentally different products. Survival depends on embracing it now.

Most companies are using AI wrong and too safely: Simply making existing processes faster is the least imaginative use of AI. The real opportunity is redesigning workflows and products entirely — not just layering AI on top of old systems.

Start with workflows, not hype: The smartest entry point isn’t “build something cool with AI” — it’s identifying repetitive, structured tasks and automating them. Map the process step-by-step, then apply AI where it actually removes friction.

Agents are coming faster than most people think: We’re moving toward a world where teams manage AI agents that do the work — writing code, running workflows, even transacting. The shift from “tools” to “autonomous workers” is already underway.

Roles are collapsing — not just evolving: AI is blurring boundaries between product, design, and engineering. Tasks that once required multiple roles can now be done by one person with AI support. This will fundamentally reshape team structures.

No one actually knows the playbook yet: There is no “best practice” right now. Waiting for clarity is a losing strategy — the only way forward is experimentation, failure, and iteration.

AI-first companies will outpace incumbents: Startups built natively with AI will have massive advantages: smaller teams, faster builds, and radically lower costs. Incumbents must actively disrupt themselves or risk irrelevance.

The simplest advice: just start: Don’t overthink it. Pick a painful, repetitive task, try to automate it, and learn by doing. Momentum beats strategy at this stage.

THE SHOW

Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.

THE LINKS

Have a question you want us to answer? Send it through to support@aicareerboost.com

Bill Takacs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/btakacs/

My links

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/⁠

AI Career Boost: ⁠https://www.aicareerboost.com/⁠