Posts

“AI-ify” Your Products – And “The AI Golden Rule”

Image
“AI-ify” Your Products – And “The AI Golden Rule” You’re a CPO, and the board’s pushing hard to “AI-ify” your product by next quarter, googly-eyed by competitors “AI-powered” buzz. You roll out an AI recommendation engine, expecting a win, but users hate it—irrelevant suggestions, no control, and a 20% engagement drop in a week. Why? Chasing AI hype over user needs, a mistake that sinks 80% of AI projects (McKinsey, Gartner). Instead of racing to keep up, you can be a smarter leader, building AI that users trust and love. This blueprint shows you how, starting with a principle that delivers ROI without the fallout. A Practical Guide for Product Leaders With 32% of consumers switching brands after one poor experience (PwC, 2022), human-centered AI is critical. This 5-part series introduces a playbook built on a core principle that ensures your AI delivers ROI by prioritizing users. The AI Golden Rule: “AI Must Empower Human Agency” The cornerstone of human-centered AI is simple but powe...
Post a Comment
Read more
Image
The Greased Pig Theory of Innovation Lessons in Innovation from Mud, Chaos, and Desperation By Stephen McBride We were just sitting down for the rodeo at the Alameda County Fairgrounds when the announcer's booming voice cut through the dusty air: “All 12- and 13-year-old boys, come on down for the Greased Pig Race!” Since I had just turned 12, my dad’s eyes lit up. He clenched his fist in encouragement. My stomach churned with nerves, but I didn’t back down. I nervously stepped into the pen with over 50 other kids; each of us was handed an oversized T-shirt. Cowboys unleashed a firehose, drenching the dirt and turning it into a slick, sloppy, muddy rink. Then, with a loud clang, they released the beast—a massive pig, head-to-hoof coated in thick, slippery grease, squealing like a banshee. As soon as the gate opened, chaos erupted. Kids lunged, slipped, and face-planted in the mud. The fastest and strongest reached the pig first, only to slide off its impossibly slick hide, landing ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The AI Gold Rush: Designing Innovations That Stick

Image
The AI Gold Rush: Designing Innovations That Stick Innovators make big claims—but most fail to stick. The difference between hype and habit? Momentum and Resonance. AI floods the market daily with ‘next big things’—from Google Glass to Canva AI—but few survive the hype cycle. The difference? Tools that stick engineer momentum and resonance." Yet history shows that hype alone rarely turns into lasting habit. The question is simple yet profound: how do we design innovations that stick? How do we strike gold in the AI age? The answer lies in understanding momentum and resonance—the principles at the heart of the Innovation Experience (IX) Spiral, or SPIRAL framework. Resonance—the emotional ‘click’ that makes users feel a tool is indispensable—is what separates fleeting novelty from enduring adoption. Unlike traditional product development models that focus on features or launch metrics, SPIRAL prioritizes the psychological and emotional journey of the user. Each stage is designed t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Agentic AI and Human Intervention

Image
Agentic AI and Human Intervention Artificial intelligence has revolutionized the B2B landscape, accelerating deal closures, ticket resolutions, and quote deliveries from days to hours. These efficiency gains are incredible, yet B2B buyers crave more than speed—they want partners who understand their needs, anticipate challenges, and guide with confidence, remaining engaged post-sale to build trust. Agentic AI, aligned with The CX Curve framework, fulfills this vision. Unlike traditional automation, which reacts to triggers, Agentic AI proactively manages accounts, predicting needs and acting on them. Its strength shines through collaboration with humans, blending AI’s precision and scalability with human empathy and relationship-building to create a trust-driven CX. Why We Really Need Both Agentic AI and Human Intervention The partnership of Agentic AI and human intervention is vital for optimal B2B CX. AI excels at analyzing data and executing tasks—like scheduling server maintenance ...
Post a Comment
Read more

AI's Illusion and the Eliza Effect

Image
  AI’s Illusion and The Eliza Effect Stephen McBride The Betrayal of Our Own Brain You tell yourself it’s only a program—lines of code strung together by software developers. Then it answers you—thoughtful, empathetic, even playful—and something ancient stirs.  Not processed in your logical, analytical mind, but in the deep, social wiring that has kept humans alive for millennia. For hundreds of thousands of years, that part of your brain scanned faces for trust, tracked micro-expressions for danger, and longed for belonging. Your reasoning mind knows it’s a machine; a lifeless, but incredible tool.  But, your social brain—fast, instinctive, emotional— reacts as if there really is someone on the other side. You laugh at its joke, feel soothed by its reassurance, and in that quiet moment, the line between human and machine blurs. This is the Eliza Effect , and it was discovered long before what AI is becoming today. The Birth of the Illus i on– The Eliza Effect  In ...
Post a Comment
Read more