Every new tool nowadays is branded "AI-powered," how do we separate the real from the buzzword? This episode digs into what actually defines an AI product - and what makes managing it so damn complex.

🎙️ Guest: Liisi German – Group Product Manager at Bolt (ex-Veriff)

From self-driving cars and document scanners to chatbots that hallucinate refunds, we talk about when AI is the right tool, and when a simple if-else statement might do the job better.

Key takeaways:

* AI product management is about designing around uncertainty and mistakes (in some context known as hallucinations)

* Don’t build AI unless you have to. Seriously. Start with manual hacks. Fake it, Buy it, then Build it.

* Companies do 2 types of AI. Real AI product features and systems. And the second is automation. Most “AI” today is just automation. And that’s okay.

* We go through examples of Bolt and Veriff, how to evaluate edge cases, label training data and more.

Framework: 5 Jobs of an AI PM

* Design around machine failure and edge cases

* Decide when to buy vs. build

* Define “right vs. wrong” model behavior

* Source, label, and manage training data

* Manage legal concerns

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction

1:25 AI Product Management Overview

2:10 What is AI product?

6:13 What is difference between: AI PM and Software PM?

13:18 How to work with uncertainty in AI Teams?

24:13 How to design around AI mistakes?

28:41 Understanding Data and Training

39:30 Should you Buy or Build your AI?

56:34 What are skills of AI PMs?

1:01:11 Liisi's University course

1:05:11 Future of AI in Product Management

1:06:01 Final Thoughts and Advice

Connect:

* Liisi German: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liisigerman/

* Nikolay Roll: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolay-roll/

Referenced:

* Alfred - name of AI chatbot of Bolt - https://bolt.eu/en-ee/

* Veriff - https://www.veriff.com

* OpenAI CPO on writing evals - youtube link

* Amazon walk in store - https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-just-walk-out-actually-1-000-people-in-india-2024-4

* TPG article - Why your company is not ready for AI yet - https://www.tpg.ee/p/why-your-company-isnt-ready-for-ai

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