In this episode, we explore the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence with Vasanth Raju, Head of AI Products at Rakuten. With an impressive background spanning Google, startup ventures, and now a leadership role at one of Japan’s leading tech ecosystems, Vasanth shares his journey of turning cutting-edge AI research into scalable, real-world solutions.

Key Topics Discussed:

• From Research to Real-World Impact: Vasanth’s transition from AI researcher and founder to Head of AI Products, and how his early passion for AI evolved into large-scale innovation.
• Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Scale: The toughest challenges in translating AI research into usable products—and how Vasanth’s teams overcome them.
• Scaling AI for the Enterprise: Best practices for building AI products that not only work, but thrive in complex business environments.
• LLMs & the Future of Work: Vasanth’s take on large language models—how they’re reshaping industries, the efficiency they bring, and the job displacement concerns they raise.
• Keeping Pace with Innovation: How to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving AI space, and the criteria Vasanth uses to identify promising technologies.
• Leading High-Impact AI Teams: Insights into leadership in AI—how to inspire innovation and turn research into results.
• Data Infrastructure at Scale: Why scalable data architecture is crucial, and how Rakuten supports AI development through robust infrastructure.
• Why Some AI Fails to Launch: Vasanth unpacks why many promising AI projects never reach market, and what makes the successful ones different.
• Risks in Commercializing AI: A candid discussion about common misconceptions in AI productization and how to mitigate associated risks.
• Advice for AI Entrepreneurs: Vasanth’s outlook on the future of AI-driven startups and his advice to aspiring founders ready to break into the space.

Join us for a thoughtful, tech-forward conversation on how AI is reshaping industries—and what it takes to build products that make a lasting impact.

#ShapeXPodcast #AIProducts #ArtificialIntelligence #RakutenAI #Entrepreneurship #LLMs #TechLeadership #ShapeX #FutureOfWork #ScalableInnovation