How 80% of AI Companies Build Products

In this episode of UX Stories, host Lihong Hicken sits down with Apurva Garware, SVP and Head of Product at Invisible Technologies — the company behind 80% of the world's AI companies. From Microsoft Azure to Amazon to EdTech, Apurva shares how first principles of teaching humans apply directly to training AI models, why hybrid human-AI teams are inevitable, and how vibe coding is transforming the product building process. 🔥 What you'll learn: ✅ How training AI models mirrors teaching children ✅ Why product building is 10x faster with vibe coding & prototyping tools ✅ The future of product teams — convergence of PM, design & engineering ✅ Hybrid teams: AI agents working alongside humans ✅ Why listening to real users still beats AI personas ✅ The "magic number" for user research interviews 👤 About the Guest: Apurva Garware is SVP and Head of Product at Invisible Technologies, where she works with Frontier AI Labs and enterprises to build AI enablement products. Previously, she held product leadership roles at Microsoft, Amazon, Chegg, and Upwork. ⏱️ Timestamps: 0:00 — 👋 Welcome & Introduction 1:16 — 🎯 Apurva's Career Journey: Microsoft, Amazon, Chegg, Upwork & Invisible 3:43 — 🧒 Is Training AI Like Teaching a Child? 4:11 — 🧠 How Reinforcement Learning Gyms Work 7:29 — 🛠️ How Has Product Building Changed with AI? 8:38 — 💡 From Weeks to Hours: The New Speed of Prototyping 15:41 — 🏗️ The Future of Product Teams: Convergence of Roles 15:49 — 🔮 Prediction #1: Roles Will Converge but Expertise Stays 17:55 — 🤖 Prediction #2: Hybrid Human-AI Teams Are Coming 18:49 — ⚡ Rapid Fire: Always-On Usability Monitor? 20:25 — 🧪 AI Personas vs. Human Feedback in User Testing 22:06 — ❤️ Most Fulfilling Part of the Work 23:41 — 🙏 Closing Thoughts & Key Takeaway 📢 Subscribe for more UX Stories! ProductManagement #AI #UXResearch #InvisibleTechnologies #VibeCoding #ProductDesign #AIAgents #HybridTeams #UserTesting #TechPodcast

What is UX Stories Podcast?

If you want to understand your customers more deeply and unlock growth that doesn't rely on guesswork, this series is for you. Founders, operators, and product leaders tune in to learn how real conversations shape better products, better decisions, and better outcomes.

In each episode of UX Stories Podcast, you'll explore how fast-growing teams uncover meaningful insights using smarter feedback loops and authentic user conversations. Inspired by the approach behind TheySaid, this show digs into why traditional surveys fall short and how modern teams gather richer, more actionable signals that drive real business impact.