How to Build AI Products That Actually Scale

Last week, nearly $300 billion in market value was wiped out across software companies. Because AI is accelerating faster than many businesses are ready for. AI-native products are forcing a reset because they’re built on cleaner data, tighter workflows, and clearer value propositions. When AI levels the playing field, weak foundations, technical and organizational, are exposed quickly. That’s why my recent conversation with Ivan Latanision, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Allvue, is especially timely. Ivan has built products in highly regulated, private equity (PE)-backed environments where AI can’t just sound impressive, it has to earn trust, customers, and revenue. We talk candidly about why so many AI initiatives stall, and it often comes down to something deceptively simple: We don’t communicate the value of data well. Teams talk about models and architectures. Boards care about revenue, risk, and returns. But you can’t deliver to those expectations without high quality data. When those two conversations never connect, AI becomes an expensive experiment instead of a business advantage. The second critically important lesson from our discussion: New products fail when leaders lose direct contact with customers. We talk about why real AI ROI requires structured, ongoing customer feedback, and why that feedback can’t stop at the product team. CEOs, CFOs, and boards need to hear directly from customers about what’s working, what isn’t, and where AI actually creates value. We also dig into: * How AI must be embedded in real workflows, not bolted on * Monetization discipline matters as much as model performance (i.e. don’t give away AI for free) * How faster prototyping leads to new revenue streams If you’re leading through this moment and trying to move from AI curiosity to AI impact, this episode will resonate. You’ll learn how to reconnect strategy, execution, and customer reality before the market does it for you. Thanks for listening and being part of the Lead The Machine conversation. — Kirstin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthemachine.substack.com