Build What’s Next: Digital Product Perspectives

Is the "SaaSpocalypse" here, or is the industry just getting started? In this episode of Build What's Next, host Jason Rome is joined by Ken Yagen, Principal and Operating Executive at Norwest, to explore the seismic shifts happening in software engineering and product development.

Ken shares his pragmatic, "on-the-ground" perspective on the transition from AI copilots to agentic coding and the imperative for teams to pivot toward a systems-thinking mindset. We dive deep into the new financial realities of the AI age—specifically how product teams are adopting "FinOps" roles to manage token costs—and discuss why "token-per-unit-of-value" is the new metric for ROI.

Key Topics Covered:

• The Shift to Agentic Workflows: Moving beyond simple assistance to specialized, loop-based engineering agents.
• Token Economics & ROI: How to treat tokens as investment capital and avoid the "token-maxing" trap.
• The Evolving Product Manager: Why domain expertise, AI fluency, and rapid prototyping are the new "must-have" skills.
• Modernizing SaaS: How companies can reinvigorate legacy products, leverage data moats, and build durable, outcome-oriented software in an AI-first world.

Whether you're a product leader, a systems engineer, or just trying to navigate the rapid pace of change in the enterprise, this conversation offers actionable insights on building more effectively in the AI era.

Subscribe and Follow:

Don't miss an episode—subscribe to Build What's Next for weekly deep dives into digital product perspectives. Check out more resources and tech talks at method.com.

Episode Resources:

Jason Rome on LinkedIn: /jason-rom-275b2014

Ken Yagen on LinkedIn: /in/kenyagen

Method Website: method.com

Norwest Website: norwest.com

Code is getting easier to produce, but the cost of building the wrong thing is about to get louder. Jason Rome sits down with Cory Voglesonger, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Aaron's, to unpack what’s actually changing as teams move toward AI-native delivery and an AI development lifecycle filled with coding agents and agentic workflows.

We use Cory’s culture framework safety, clarity, urgency as a simple way to diagnose why some teams thrive with AI while others drown in noise. Urgency is not “move fast at all costs.” It is outcome thinking: knowing what business result you’re chasing, measuring it, and avoiding the trap of shipping a mountain of features just because AI makes output cheap. We also dig into why lean thinking, flow, and the basics of continuous delivery still matter, plus how a solid developer experience with a golden path and standard toolchain prevents AI-driven sprawl.

Clarity is where AI turns the dial up to 1000. When you’re directing humans and eventually armies of agents, the work lives or dies on context engineering: guardrails, constraints, domain knowledge, and clear intent. We talk about getting closer to users, making knowledge less tribal, and using AI as adviser, assistant, and adversary to challenge bias, stress test ideas, and sharpen decisions before production feedback takes time.

Safety closes the loop, from psychological safety around job fears to environmental safety around customer data and blast radius. If you want your team to adopt AI without burnout, this is the leadership work. Subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review with the culture lever you’re focusing on next.

Episode Resources:

Jason Rome on LinkedIn: /jason-rom-275b2014

Cory Voglesonger on LinkedIn: in/cory-voglesonger-81907628

Method Website: method.com

The Aaron’s Company Website: aarons.com

AI is everywhere, yet most teams still feel stuck between exciting demos and messy reality. Jason Rome sits down with Jon Webster, Chief Operating Officer at CPP Investments, to pressure test what has truly changed since their last conversation and what has not. We talk candidly about why generative AI adoption is starting to look like every other enterprise technology rollout: uneven, political, constrained by governance, and full of “we bought the licenses but we do not have the use cases” moments.

We dig into the economics behind the hype: token pricing, subsidised plans, and why clear price signals matter if you want real ROI from enterprise AI. When AI feels cheap, sprawl is rational. When prices rise, leaders have to prioritise, measure outcomes, and decide where AI belongs in the operating model. From there we explore the human risks and skills that get exposed fast, including cognitive load, over-reliance, and the growing divide between people with strong mental models and those who skip straight to prompting.

The conversation also goes deep on practical ways to work better: owning your outline before you generate, using AI as an adversary to challenge your thinking, and borrowing frameworks from great strategy writing to choose the right “hills to climb.” We close with predictions on where the next nine months may go, from more disciplined optimisation to shifts in SaaS, systems of record versus systems of action, and the leadership balance between IQ gains and EQ and empathy.

If you found this useful, subscribe so you do not miss the follow-up, share it with a teammate who is wrestling with AI adoption, and leave a review with the most valuable AI habit you have learned so far.

Jason Rome on LinkedIn: /jason-rom-275b2014

Jon Webster on LinkedIn: /in/jrwebster

Method Website: method.com

CPP Investments Website: cppinvestments.com

In this episode of Build What's Next, Theo Munoz, Miguel Ribeiro, and Natan Szczepaniak discuss Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) and why an estimated 80% of ML models built in notebooks never make it to production. The hosts argue that the failures stem less from technology and more from organizational issues like a lack of clear ownership, insufficient investment in data engineering, and poor data foundations. Learn how standardization, shared ownership between business and engineering, and robust model governance are crucial to scaling AI safely, especially as the industry shifts towards Gen AI.

To find more episodes, visit method.com/insights/podcasts/

Episode Resources: 

Method.com

Theo Munoz on Linked-In: /in/theo-munoz-090a88151/

Miguel Ribeiro on Linked-In: /in/miguel-ribeiro-3439328a/

Natan Szczepaniak on Linked-In: /in/natan-sz/

AI is reshaping the roles of design and engineering, emphasizing collaboration and how models can accelerate workflows without sacrificing quality. This week’s episode explores how designers like David Shackelford, Associate Director of Product Design for Method, use tools like Perplexity, UX Pilot, and Figma Make for rapid exploration, while Paul Rowe, Principal Software Engineer at Method, discusses the engineering reality check with tools like Claude Code and Google’s Anti-Gravity IDE. The key takeaway is a practical playbook for speed with guardrails, affirming that human judgment, taste, and accountability remain the multiplier.

The Methodites cover where AI currently shines—producing accurate results for smaller, well-defined tasks—and where it struggles, often leading to code bloat and confusion with vague prompts, especially within massive enterprise codebases. Despite the excitement around "vibe coding," they stress that the core development workflow remains "build, validate, iterate," with human review being more critical than ever. Paul and David conclude that while AI is an efficiency tool that can blur traditional departmental lines and shift where time is spent, strategic roadmapping, quality assurance (QA), and deep, expert-level skill sets in both design and engineering are still indispensable.

To find more episodes, visit method.com/insights/podcasts/

Episode Resources: 

Method.com

David Shackleford on Linked-In: /in/davidzshackelford/

Paul Rowe on Linked-In: /in/paulcullenrowe/ 

Travis Barrs of Discovery Education discusses how K–12 is shifting from tool access to learning impact, focusing on building scalable, coherent learning platforms. This involves budget realities, teacher workloads, and consolidating tool sprawl.

Key points include the return of core curriculum funding, the necessity of standards alignment, and balancing Discovery's diverse brands (DreamBox Learning, Mystery Science, etc.). The underlying architecture emphasizes seamless identity/access, roster sync, LMS integrations, and cross-product analytics for targeted student support. Organizational design uses a "quartet" model—product, design, engineering, and curriculum—to embed pedagogy and rigor from the start.

AI implementation follows a measured roadmap, prioritizing teacher workflows (lesson planning, assessment, recommendations) before student-facing tools with strong guardrails. Internally, AI aids in prototyping, documentation, sales, RFPs, contract review, and curriculum drafting, all under strict governance. The future is focused on hyperpersonalization, workload-reducing classroom assistants, and provable efficacy.

To find more episodes, visit method.com/insights/podcasts/

Episode Resources: 

Method.com

Travis Barrs on Linked-In: /in/travisbarrs/

Carol Rego on Linked-In: /in/carol-rego/

More episodes: method.com/insights/podcasts/

Forget the AI hype and focus on real ROI in the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). This episode features Method's Jason Rome and Raj Sethi with ISG experts Ashwin Gaidhani and Tapati Bandopadhya, who trace a clear path from AI tools to measurable outcomes. They argue that coding speed isn't the bottleneck—specs, testing, pipelines, and change management are.

We break down the mechanics of ROI: how specification elaboration unlocks downstream gains, the decision between human-in-the-loop vs. agent-in-the-loop, and integrating GenAI into CI/CD. We also discuss cost, risk-adjusted ROI (F1 score plus risk), and practical wins for legacy modernization, like AI-driven requirement discovery and service-oriented modernization. The conversation also introduces 'stability lanes' and covers what leaders get wrong (tooling without process change, microservices by default), advocating instead for platform thinking and a conductor's mindset to orchestrate micro-tasks for real lift.

Episode Resources:

Jason Rome on LinkedIn: /jason-rom-275b2014

Raj Sethi on LinkedIn: in/rajsethi

Ashwin Gaidhani on LinkedIn: in/ashwin-gaidhani

Tapati Bandopadhya on LinkedIn: in/tapatibandopadhyay

Method Website: method.com

GlobalLogic Website: globallogic.com

ISG Website: isg-one.com

The most valuable features in your product might be hiding in plain sight. We sit down with design leader Andy Vitale to unpack how AI can strip away clutter, surface what matters, and move users from intent to outcome without the scavenger hunt. From dense banking apps to consumer software, we break down a pragmatic path: use agentic assistants to handle administrative tasks, boost findability with smarter search, and free up the interface to highlight real value.

We dive into personalization that actually delivers. Instead of broad segments, AI can synthesize behavior, preferences, and context in real time to shape the experience—while also making existing configuration options easier to discover. Andy shares how teams can pair analytics, NPS, and session data with AI-driven synthesis to spot drop-offs faster and focus roadmaps on the true unmet needs. We also explore the trust equation: data privacy, benchmark accuracy, and the difference between AI as research moderator, synthesizer, or simulated participant.

Looking ahead, we imagine agentic design systems that assemble the right UI for the moment, judgment-ready data visualizations that compress complexity, and workflow views that tell you what’s blocked, what’s yours, and what’s next. AI becomes a co-author for high performers, speeding concept validation upstream while tightening execution downstream—without losing the human taste that makes products resonate. We close with hopes and fears: faster solutions and better confidence on one side; sameness and loss of craft on the other. If you care about building simpler, smarter, and more humane products with AI, this conversation will sharpen your approach.

Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, share with a teammate who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others discover the show.

Episode Resources:

Michael Lewandowski on LinkedIn: in/michael-lewandowski-66769b11

Andy Vitale on LinkedIn: in/andyvitale

Method Website: method.com

Andy Vitale Website: andyvitale.com

In this podcast episode, Method’s Jason Rome and guest Margaryta V. Rashev discuss the evolving landscape of customer experience (CX) and product development. Join us as we unpack how leading organizations are shattering traditional silos, leveraging data to truly understand customer needs, and driving business growth. Discover the shift from reactive questioning to proactive insights, the critical connection between CX metrics and business outcomes, and the exciting, yet often hyped, role of AI in the insights industry. We'll also explore the power of storytelling to bring user journeys to life and the essential foundations needed for organizations to swiftly respond to emerging customer demands. Tune in to learn how to foster true empathy within your teams and integrate discovery into delivery for impactful product strategies.

Jason Rome on LinkedIn: /jason-rom-275b2014

Margaryta V. Rashev on LinkedIn: /margaryta-v-rashev-35a517b/

Method Website: method.com

Medallia Website: medallia.com

In this podcast episode, Method’s Dr. Vanina Delobelle and Reema Pinto discuss "The Human Side of AI: Design, Change, and Reimagination. They discuss the crucial difference between viewing AI as a 'solution' versus a 'tool,' and uncover its four transformative elements: efficiency, augmentation, invention, and reimagination.

Learn why organizations often struggle with successful AI adoption, examining the role of human emotions, cultural differences in approaching change, and the necessity of designing AI for genuine human interaction. Discover the three key approaches for organizations to prepare for AI: an ecosystem-first strategy, a data-driven mindset with measurable behavioral goals, and a deeply human approach that prioritizes decision-making, career growth, and the celebration of 'pragmatic pioneers.'

This is a must-listen for leaders, designers, strategists, and anyone interested in the intersection of technology, business, and humanity, offering invaluable insights into fostering sustainable AI adoption and creating a future where AI truly serves human needs.

Dr. Vanina Delobelle on LinkedIn: /in/vaninadelobelle/

Reema Pinto on LinkedIn: /in/reema-pinto-945394/

Method Website: method.com

Hitachi Website: https://www.hitachi.com/en/