What does real product leadership look like in the age of generative AI?

Felicia Shakiba is joined by Claurelle Rakipovic, Chief Product Officer at Pipe, to cut through the hype and unpack what effective product leadership actually requires as generative AI reshapes how products are built. From customer empathy to avoiding common AI missteps, Claurelle shares hard-earned lessons on designing products that deliver real value—not just novelty.

This episode explores how leadership judgment, disciplined decision making, and clear C-suite strategy guide successful product development amid rapid digital transformation. Claurelle explains why understanding customer pain remains essential, how AI automation and business process automation should support—not replace—product fundamentals, and what it takes to build technology that can truly hold its ground in competitive markets.

Chapters

00:00 Building Defensible Products in the Age of AI

01:50 Understanding Defensibility Beyond Automation

04:30 Learning from AI Missteps

09:26 Internal Testing and AI Adoption

14:39 New Competencies for Product Leaders

19:47 The Importance of Unique Data

23:49 Empathy in AI Product Development

27:39 Auditing AI for Value Delivery

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