#147 How AI can "unlock" SaaS instead of killing it and when declining monthly usage can be a good thing in the world of AI agents w/ Andrew Saxe, VP of Product at Smartling
Description
Declining MAU can be a product win,
depending on your product strategy...
Andrew Saxe, VP of Product at Smartling, joined me to unpack why.
When a system translates intent well and runs in the background, people don’t have to log in—and the work still gets done.
We discussed designing for “manage by exception,” placing guardrails where failure would be costly, and allowing automation to carry the load.
We looked at the feature request funnel too: why thousands of asks don’t equal thousands of tickets, and how building a few verbatim specs for large customers can still lead to unused features, tech debt, and wasted opportunities.
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Timestamps:
02:48 The niche translation industry and Smartling’s impact
11:28 The role of AI in translation
13:55 AI’s impact on Smartling’s product roadmap
16:38 Managing translations with AI and human oversight
22:00 Optimizing translation services for market expansion
22:47 Challenges and nuances of multilingual customer research
23:41 The art and science of requirements to spec translation
29:18 Feature requests and customer feedback
31:26 The importance of understanding user needs
34:27 The future of translation and AI
38:37 Concluding thoughts and contact information
24:56 AI and Translation: Balancing Automation and Human Touch
28:19 Feature Requests and Customer Feedback
30:27 The Importance of Understanding User Needs
35:42 Managing Translation Budgets and Quality
37:39 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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