What do product leaders need to consider when navigating emerging technologies? In this podcast hosted by Barbara Bermes, GEICO former Product VP Georgiana Mirea shares insights and real-world experiences on building innovative products with cutting-edge technologies like AI and blockchain. Georgiana discusses strategies for learning new tech, assembling the right product teams, and managing the unique challenges of developing products in rapidly evolving spaces.
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Show Notes
- Georgiana’s passion for navigating emerging technologies stems from her love of learning and solving problems to help people.
- Mastering the skill of learning itself is crucial for navigating fast-evolving tech landscapes.
- Building a network of knowledgeable peers and learning together is an effective way to stay on top of new technologies.
- AI tools like Perplexity and Otter AI can help shorten the learning curve, but should be complemented with traditional research.
- When hiring for emerging tech, focus on adaptability, curiosity, and the ability to learn quickly, rather than specific domain expertise.
- Experiment, iterate, and be ready to pivot quickly when building products with emerging technologies.
- Reducing the MVP to the bare minimum can help mitigate risk and uncertainty.
- For AI product development, start with the problem, not the technology, and use the right type of AI to solve it.
- Data quality and infrastructure, including privacy and security, are fundamental for building effective AI products.
- Manage expectations around AI’s capabilities and limitations, and incorporate human oversight for reliability.
- Address ethical considerations and potential biases when developing AI-powered products.
- AI will empower product managers by automating tasks and freeing up time for strategic work.
- However, AI cannot replace human judgment, intuition, empathy, and the ability to navigate ambiguity.
- Product managers should focus on understanding user needs, defining problems, and driving innovation.
- Continuously learn about new product management methodologies and the latest AI tools.
- Stay curious, adapt constantly, and be ready to change course quickly.
- Experiment and be willing to reduce the MVP to its bare minimum.
- Leverage AI tools to enhance your work, but don’t let them replace human-centric product management.
- Focus on creating value for customers, not just implementing the latest technology.
- Embrace the exciting opportunities that emerging technologies present for product managers.
About the speaker
Georgiana Mirea is a forward-thinking product management executive with deep expertise in defining winning strategies and building innovative products and businesses for startups and Fortune 100 companies. At GEICO, she led a diverse team to develop cutting-edge solutions, including AI/Virtual Agents, while establishing a robust product management function and driving organizational transformation. Her expertise in fintech and blockchain is reflected in her roles as Chief Product Officer at NYDIG and SVP of Product and Advisor at Dapper Labs, where she was pivotal in launching groundbreaking products. At Northwestern Mutual, Georgiana led a 50+ member product team to modernize financial services and elevate customer experiences. Previously, she drove innovation in payments, digital wallets, expense management, API integrations, and mobile technologies at leading companies like American Express, Nokia, Siemens, and several tech startups. Georgiana holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Bucharest.
About the host
Barbara Bermes is an extremely passionate data-driven product leader, a previous International conference speaker, and a book author, with a comprehensive technical background and deep experience in B2B SaaS products at growth-stage companies. Motivated and driven by customer happiness, she is a decisive leader and executive with a proven track record of leading high-performing product teams with empathy, evangelizing product strategy and delivering world-class customer solutions. She frequently writes about product under https://bbinto.medium.com/