What AI means for your product strategy | Paul Adams (CPO of Intercom)

Paul Adams is the longtime chief product officer at Intercom, where he leads the product management, product design, data science, and research teams. Before Intercom, Paul was the global head of brand design at Facebook, a senior user researcher at Google, and a product designer at Dyson. He’s also a best-selling author, a podcast host, and a public speaker. In today’s episode, we discuss:
• Practical advice on integrating AI into your organization
• Tips and tools for learning AI as a PM
• Hilarious stories from Google and Facebook
• How to build conviction with skeptical coworkers
• Lessons learned from pricing at Intercom
• How Intercom implemented JTBD
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Find the transcript and references at: www.lennyspodcast.com/what-ai...
Where to find Paul Adams:
• X: / padday
• LinkedIn: / pauladams
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: / lennysan
• LinkedIn: / lennyrachitsky
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Paul’s background
(04:09) Freezing onstage in front of 8,000 people
(07:28) Insights from Google+ days
(12:31) Learning from failure
(13:56) Intercom’s “ship fast, ship early, ship often” principle
(15:17) Integrating AI into product strategy
(17:31) Making time for AI learning
(19:37) AI in new-product development
(21:16) Questions to ask about your product
(23:33) How Intercom pivoted after the release of ChatGPT
(25:13) Intercom’s AI chatbot, Fin
(26:45) The early impact of AI adoption at Intercom
(28:53) Capabilities of AI
(34:27) How to structure teams around AI products
(37:57) Why all teams should be involved in AI
(39:04) Staying up to date on emerging technology
(42:44) Hurdles implementing AI at Intercom
(45:52) Building conviction around AI
(49:52) Why you shouldn’t fear AI
(50:56) Paul’s “before-after” framework
(51:54) Pricing lessons from Intercom
(54:54) Paul’s “differentiation vs. table stakes” framework
(59:22) What “swinging the pendulum” means and examples from Intercom
(1:05:21) Paul’s “product market story fit” framework
(1:08:23) His take on JTBD
(1:11:01) How Intercom uses the “four forces” framework
(1:12:54) Lightning round
Production and marketing by penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [e-mail].
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

[@techatore8915]

Love Paul’s candid and humble style. Was very refreshing to hear him get vulnerable about failures. Makes the insights all the more valuable.
Keep up the great content!

[@rubenk6548]

This is a very good episode. Contains so much more insights other than AI! Also love Paul's pragmatic approach to frameworks

[@Fredbfug]

Little does Lenny know... this whole interview was with Fin and not Paul 😂
Great episode Lenny!

[@LennysPodcast]

We're actually both Fin, and were having beers instead.

[@Fredbfug]

@@LennysPodcast When are you having some more product marketing people on the pod? 🍻

[@paddayadams]

😂

[@AndreNsala]

@@LennysPodcast BUT was it fresh Guinness from Nigeria? 😂

[@fullstackjedi]

He looks like Harry Styles

[@clouds.inthesky]

I was wondering where have I seen him before! Thanks.

[@paddayadams]

😂

[@TheRickAustin]

There is a Guinness brewery just south of Baltimore, Maryland.

[@paddayadams]

I did not know that!

[@soussoumechri8841]

What's CPO for intercom !??

[@migueljohns8479]

Chief Product Officer

[@LennysPodcast]

@@migueljohns8479 💯

[@KenOSeven]

For a sec I thought Lenny invited Harry Styles