Warren Smith

From Policy to Product Finding Wedge Opportunities in the New Era of Sustainable Innovation

From the SPC Conference to the startup whiteboard, my latest Substack explores 4 wedges shaping sustainable innovation and 5 lessons for product leaders. #ESG #EPR #CircularEconomy

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/from-polic...

Building Role-Based Marketing Agents From Vision to Blueprint: Building AI Marketing Agents

Part 2 showing the technical plan to build role-based AI agents to support a marketing team: from data ingestion to vector DBs and orchestration. It’s how one leader can call on digital colleagues to plan, write, and optimize campaigns. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/building-r...

These robots know when to ask for help Large language models combined with confidence scores help them recognize uncertainty. That could be key to making robots safe and trustworthy.

Great read on how robots/large language models can use confidence scoring to decide when to ask for help. Could definitely inform how I train new models. Worth a read for anyone building AI systems.

www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/08/1...

How Agents Can Recreate the Marketing Team From team to toolkit: marketing roles reimagined with GenAI

Marketing teams once needed many specialists. Now, GenAI agents can mimic roles like SEO lead, copywriter, and analyst — letting one leader orchestrate an entire digital team. Read how I built this vision into reality. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/how-agents...

Your AI Employee Just Became Your Biggest Insider Threat The risks of treating AI like a harmless assistant.

AI agents aren’t just assistants. They are becoming the fastest insider threats in your enterprise. From hallucinations to now scheming, they act like employees without judgment. I break down risks and opportunities for leaders in my latest article. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/your-ai-em...

AI at the Crossroads Scaling Lessons for Products, Startups, and Venture Capital

AI hype is peaking, but scaling, adoption, and investment risks are real. I break down 5 themes shaping product, startup innovation, and VC strategy — and how disciplined execution will matter more than bigger models. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/ai-at-the-...

Short-Term Wins, Long-Term Losses Why Alignment Matters in Strategy and Life

The hardest part of strategy isn’t setting long-term goals. It’s making sure the short-term moves we celebrate actually get us there. Here’s how that alignment makes or breaks success.

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/short-term...

The Hidden Hardware Bill of LLMs From crawl to conversation, where the dollars go in scaling AI.

The real AI moat isn’t algorithms, it’s hardware economics. GPUs, storage, and bandwidth decide who scales vs who burns cash.

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/the-hidden...

RAG Isn’t Plug-and-Play Treat RAG as engineered infrastructure, not hype

RAG isn’t plug-and-play. Recently, I’ve seen firsthand how chunking, embeddings, governance & cost control make or break GenAI. In my latest article, I break down 5 challenges product leaders must solve to stay competitive. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/rag-isnt-p...

Beyond the Chatbox Why LangChain + LLaMA Beats GPT-4 for Business AI

Most LLMs are judged by their chatbox fluency—not by how they perform in production. In my latest post, I explain why LangChain + LLaMA is the smarter business stack for AI apps. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/beyond-the...

Why GenAI Alone Won’t Make You Special But It Can Help If You Are

Just because your startup uses GenAI doesn’t make it special. (Sorry) Real advantage comes from what only you can do. In my latest article, I write about why AI is an amplifier, not a differentiator—and what founders should focus on instead. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/why-genai-...

LLMs, Math, and the Mirage of Machine Intuition What AI Still Gets Wrong

If you know me, you know I love a good math problem, so you won't be surprised about my latest piece on how LLMs are falling short on advanced math, what agents get wrong, and why the brain remains the benchmark. #AI #LLM #Product #Math #Startups

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/llms-math-...

From Magic to Mechanics: AI Grows Up How Product, Engineering, and Leadership Must Adapt for Lasting Impact

Winning isn’t about flashy models but embedding AI into real workflows that deliver results. My latest article focuses on how product, engineering & leadership teams can thrive in the next era. #AI #ProductLeadership #Execution

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/from-magic...

The Tech Stack Every AI Investment Depends On Why real AI innovation comes from mastering the unseen layers of architecture, not just flashy applications.

Real AI advantage isn’t just UI — it’s in the hidden stack. I break down where the real moat lives, from RAG to embeddings. Read my latest on building defensible, scalable AI products! warrensmithd.substack.com/p/the-tech-s...

Just wrapped an unforgettable week at MIT studying Product Leadership & GAI. Explored AI agents, digital transformation, and the disruptive power of GenAI with brilliant minds. Inspired, challenged, and ready to lead. #MIT #AIleadership #GenerativeAI #FutureOfWork

Behavior Defines The Roadmap Stop guessing—use real user signals to guide GenAI strategy

Too many GenAI roadmaps chase hype instead of real user behavior. In my 3rd story in this series, I share lessons on building AI products that adapt, earn trust, and deliver outcomes. It's time to rethink how we plan. #GenAI #ProductStrategy #UX warrensmithd.substack.com/p/behavior-d...

10 MIT AI startups to watch in 2025 | MIT Sloan From assessing bridge infrastructure to predicting worker fatigue risk via voice analysis, these startups are widening the scope of what artificial intelligence can do.

From preventing bridge collapses to decoding fatigue in voices, MIT’s 2025 AI startups are solving real-world problems with cutting-edge tech. Meet the 10 to watch: mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-t...

Scaling GAI with the Right Team, Stack, and Signals Hiring, measuring, and building your way past the prototype

Scaling GenAI should focus on building the right team, smart agentic design, and measuring what matters. In Part 2 of my GenAI strategy series, I cover how to execute at scale. If you're beyond the prototype, this one's for you. #GenAI #ProductStrategy
warrensmithd.substack.com/p/scaling-ga...

Use GAI to Solve Problems, Not Impress The flashiest demo isn’t always the win, how to prioritize what to build and when

Too many GAI pilots chase flash over function. In my latest article, I break down how to prioritize what to build, ask the right questions, and track the right metrics. PMs: the moment to lead is now. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/use-gai-to...

Lead With Calm, Deliver With Grit What Turnarounds Taught Me About Success

I’ve led teams through turnarounds, chaos, and tough calls. Here’s a quick study on what I’ve learned—about culture, clarity, and why GenAI can help but won’t save you. #ProductLeadership #Turnaround

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/lead-with-...

Why Generative AI Startups Fail And How Product Leaders Can Save Them

GenAI startups don’t fail because of tech—they fail because of product strategy gaps. I’ve led unicorns & rescued overhyped demos. Here’s what founders need & how product leadership might steer you toward success. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/why-genera...

AI Agent Architecture What Every Product Team Needs to Understand About Agents

AI agents do more than chat, they think, act, integrate and escalate. But without the right architecture, they break. Here’s how product teams need to design agents that actually deliver. #AI #ProductMgmt

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/ai-agent-a...

Big Data to Prescriptive Insight A Technical Guide for Product Managers

My latest article is a technical guide for product leaders on transforming predictive analytics into prescriptive insight using LLMs. Essential reading for teams building data-driven SaaS platforms. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/big-data-t...

Geothermal energy has been around for over 100 years. Why is it still an emerging technology? Tech Brew spoke with geothermal experts about its underestimated power, and how to unite the industry.

Geothermal energy is heating up as an "emerging" tech market! My work with MIT has inspired me to dive deeper into innovations like this. Spoiler: Enhanced geothermal could power millions sustainably! www.emergingtechbrew.com/stories/2025...

Text-to-UI Tools Are Redefining Innovation How instant mockups and user simulations help teams design faster, smarter, and ahead of competitors

I explored how text-to-UI tools like Galileo are reshaping product design. Hard to avoid playing with these tools, instant mockups, faster validation, smarter UX. Here's why adopting them isn't optional anymore. warrensmithd.substack.com/p/text-to-ui...

When humans and AI work best together — and when each is better alone | MIT Sloan A combination of AI and humans works best in tasks where humans outperform AI and in those that involve creating content.

Solid piece from MIT offers a thoughtful take on when to use and when not to use AI, scale vs context, creativity, limited assumptions. Great things to keep in mind as the bulk of us build AI-enabled teams or tools. #AI #Collaboration #FutureOfWork mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-t...

The Future of Intelligent Supply Chains How AI and New Consolidation Could Power Global Resilience

Explore my thoughts on how AI and strategic M&A could redefine global supply chain resilience. From transparency to agility—this shift isn't just coming, it’s essential. The sooner, the smarter. #SupplyChainInnovation warrensmithd.substack.com/p/the-future...

The AI-Powered Product Team Startups are scaling leaner by design—using generative AI to do more with less, without compromising impact.

My latest article drawing on my experience at MIT, recent work with AI startups, and my search for a product leadership role—exploring how generative AI is reshaping product teams and redefining value. #domorewithless #productsuccess

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/the-ai-pow...

Agree 100% with this effort—venture studios like MIT Proto Ventures are the future of R&D. If you're building something new, this is the community you want to be in. It’s where overlooked ideas become world-changers. protoventures.substack.com/p/what-is-an...

IoT Isn’t Just for Engineers What every product leader should know about the Internet of Things

In my recent job search, VC work, and time at MIT, I’ve been diving into IoT. I wrote this for anyone curious—or intimidated—by the space. It’s packed with detail, just how I like it. Enjoy! hashtag#IoT hashtag#Product

warrensmithd.substack.com/p/iot-isnt-j...