Paul was built for certainty, and still, he vanished without warning.

In this episode of What Happened to Paul? Jarod Greene dives into a product launch that didn’t just veer off course. It outgrew the very playbook designed to guide it. Paul, the trusted playbook that shaped every GTM move for over a decade, suddenly stopped working.

What began as a familiar launch rhythm—strategy, plan, execution—quickly unraveled as AI capabilities evolved faster than expected.

So, where does it all start?

Russell Witham, Vivun’s Director of Product Management, helps explain the initial strategy before the change. He shares how planning for Ava, Vivun’s AI sales agent, forced the team to rethink everything as AI capabilities evolved quicker than anyone expected.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why playbooks go quiet – The signs aren’t loud, but the fallout is.
2. How strategy loses its footing – Fast-moving AI doesn’t wait for final drafts.
3. What it takes to move forward – Launches don’t pause. You adapt, or you stall.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:52) Who is Paul?

(03:19) Launching Ava required a new kind of strategy

(05:26) Managing product strategy in the fog of AI

(08:53) Why cadence keeps cross-functional teams aligned

(10:17) When Ava shifted from reactive to truly proactive