Episode description

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Karen Ng, Senior Vice President of Product and Partnerships at HubSpot.

HubSpot is a leading software platform empowering over 184,000 businesses across 120 countries to manage their sales, marketing, and customer support teams. In 2024, HubSpot generated over $2.5 billion in revenue, driven by significant investments in Artificial Intelligence.

Karen oversees critical products like Smart CRM, Operations Hub, and Ecosystem, while driving strategic partnerships and business development. Her technical expertise is notable, with three patents. She has also published research in stress detection, interactive health assessments, and robotic expressivity when she worked as a Machine Learning Researcher at MIT.

In this episode, we'll explore Karen's approach to deploying AI Agents across HubSpot's product portfolio, her decision-making process for when to Build, Buy, or Partner, and her innovative approach to product org design. We'll discuss how product teams can leverage AI Agents to augment their impact and automate workflows, and how product leaders can elevate their roles as key drivers of revenue.

What you'll learn:

• Karen's journey to becoming SVP of Product and Partnerships at HubSpot and her insights on the company's AI transformation.
• The challenges and strategies involved in creating a global, multi-product platform for businesses.
• How to prioritize features and innovations in a fast-paced, customer-centric environment.
• The future of business technology, including AI-powered tools and self-service products.

Key Takeaways👇:

• AI-Driven Product Development: Karen emphasizes the importance of integrating AI across HubSpot's product suite to enhance customer value and streamline operations.
• Innovative Organizational Structure: HubSpot is pushing boundaries with a hybrid approach to product teams, combining functional structures and pod-based teams for agility and ownership.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Karen highlights the use of OGPs (Objectives, Goals, and Plays) and customer feedback to guide product decisions and improvements.

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Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Karen Ng