An Hour of Innovation: AI, Product, Tech and Career Growth

You can talk to an AI “hologram”, but what is it actually doing, and when is it useful? In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Raffi Kryszek, a Chief Product and AI Officer at Proto Hologram, about the technology behind conversational digital people and the practical question of whether a humanlike AI interface helps people get things done. Raffi explains how the company's spatial displays and operating system developed from live remote appearances into a platform that can also present prerecorded experiences, interactive applications, and AI personas. They discuss how a spoken question becomes an answer, why the source of information matters as much as the avatar, and what changes when an assistant appears in a physical space instead of a chat window. You'll Learn: * What people are actually seeing when they call something an AI hologram * How a live remote person, a recording, and a conversational AI persona differ * Why Proto's operating system matters beyond the display hardware * How speech input, a language model, a knowledge source, and an avatar work together * Where digital people are being tried in public help, healthcare, retail, training, events, and advertising * Why a visible assistant can be easier to find at the moment someone needs help * How shared holographic displays differ from individual AR or VR experiences * What questions to ask about data retention, third-party services, model control, and guardrails * Which future interface ideas Raffi expects, and which remain speculative Raffi Kryszek is a Chief Product and AI Officer at Proto Hologram, working on holographic displays and the software that brings live people and conversational AI personas into physical spaces. His perspective comes from building and deploying the technology across several kinds of customer settings. His examples help separate a compelling visual demo from an AI interface that solves a real problem, and understand the limits that still matter. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:22 AI Holograms vs Chatbots 03:11 Proto Holograms: From Presence to AI 05:01 How Hologram Displays Work 08:00 Scaling Holographic Displays 10:40 Live Holograms, Video and AI Avatars 14:35 How Conversational AI Avatars Work 21:08 AI in Healthcare, Retail and Education 26:43 Virtual Try-On and AI Fashion 31:16 Celebrity Holograms and Live Events 33:01 Holograms vs Augmented Reality 37:22 AI Avatar Privacy and Data Security 40:06 AI Guardrails and Enterprise Control 43:34 The Future of Human-AI Interfaces 47:16 AI Agents and Portable Devices 48:37 Haptics, Neural Interfaces and Robotics 51:24 An Optimistic Future for AI 52:56 Innovation Q&A Connect with Raffi * Website: https://protohologram.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raffi-kryszek Connect with Vit * Substack: https://anhourofinnovation.substack.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vit-lyoshin/ * X: https://x.com/vitlyoshin * Website: https://vitlyoshin.com/ Support the Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, you can support it by exploring the tools below. These are affiliate links, meaning the show earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. Kit: Email marketing that automates your growth. https://partners.kit.com/xqcc7ca2ahlm Google Workspace: A collaborative way of working in the cloud, from anywhere, on any device. https://referworkspace.app.goo.gl/A7wH Riverside: AI-powered platform that lets you record, edit, repurpose, and distribute studio-quality content as easily as if you had a crew behind you. https://riverside.partnerlinks.io/frjgalhip1rz For inquiries about sponsoring An Hour of Innovation, email [email protected]

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Jeff Keyes, Field CTO at Allstacks and a product and go-to-market leader, about why AI can help teams build the wrong thing faster, how product teams should measure AI ROI, and why more code, tickets, PRs, and features do not automatically mean better products. You’ll learn: * Why many companies measure AI productivity with the wrong scoreboard * Why lines of code, PR count, and feature volume can be misleading AI ROI metrics * How AI-generated user stories can become the same weak requirements with more text * Why product managers need to focus on customer value, not just output * How Microsoft Office’s ribbon redesign shows the importance of prioritizing what users actually use * Why on-time and on-budget delivery does not prove a product created value * How the product manager’s job changes when AI speeds up execution * What AI slop looks like in product management, product marketing, and engineering * How to use AI better by organizing ideas, ranking themes, and applying frameworks * The difference between product management and product marketing * Why startups may need product marketing earlier than they think * How teams can define a North Star and use evidence to test whether AI is actually helping Jeff Keyes has worked across product management, product marketing, and engineering. His work focuses on helping teams build better products, connect product decisions to customer value, and use evidence instead of output metrics to understand whether they are actually improving. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:17 AI ROI: Value Over Output 05:34 Why Leaders Prioritize Speed 16:12 How AI Is Reshaping Product Management 22:01 The Expanding Product Manager Role 24:54 What AI Slop Means for Product Teams 29:22 A Better Workflow for LLMs 32:10 Product Management vs. Product Marketing 37:30 Aligning Product and Product Marketing 41:09 Building Product Marketing Skills 43:49 Using AI for Better Execution 48:05 Augmented Intelligence and Critical Thinking 49:52 Innovation Q&A Connect with Jeff * Website: https://www.allstacks.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdkeyes Connect with Vit * Substack: https://anhourofinnovation.substack.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vit-lyoshin/ * X: https://x.com/vitlyoshin * Website: https://vitlyoshin.com/ Support the Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, you can support it by exploring the tools below. These are affiliate links, meaning the show earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. MeetGeek: Record, transcribe, summarize, and share insights from every meeting. https://get.meetgeek.ai/yjteozr4m6ln Amplemarket: Step into the future of sales: Human + AI. Empower reps, uncover opportunities, and grow revenue. https://grow.amplemarket.com/04e068165684-affiliate Databox: Turn business performance data into clear answers your team can understand, explain, and act on – instantly. https://join.databox.com/vhw0wbr9qg9o For inquiries about sponsoring An Hour of Innovation, email [email protected]

AI coding agents can build impressive demos, but real products are much harder. In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Tammuz Dubnov, CTO and co-founder of AutonomyAI, about how AI coding agents are changing product delivery, why vibe coding often breaks inside real production codebases, and what product teams need to understand before handing more work to agents. You’ll learn: * Why building a small AI-generated app is different from changing a legacy production product * How AI-generated PRs can look functional but fail engineering review * Why the harness around an AI coding agent matters as much as the model * Whether vibe coding will remain a skill or disappear into better platforms * How AutonomyAI helps product teams turn intent into tickets, sketches, presentations, and pull requests * Why code is the source of truth for product work * How agents can use analytics, customer signals, and team knowledge to suggest product improvements * Where PMs should have authority and where engineers still need to own technical decisions * How autonomous product delivery can maintain analytics, accessibility, bugs, and product friction * Why PMs remain responsible for deciding what belongs in the product * How faster feature creation changes prioritization, review queues, and product judgment * What PMs and engineers can try now if they want to use AI agents more effectively Tammuz Dubnov is the CTO and co-founder of AutonomyAI, a platform helping product teams turn intent into delivery inside production-grade codebases. His work focuses on AI agents, product development workflows, autonomous product delivery, and helping product teams move from ideas to working software while keeping the right human judgment and engineering safeguards in place. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:16 AI in Production Codebases 03:01 What Impressive AI-Built Features Look Like 05:49 Why Agent Harnesses Matter 08:22 The Future Beyond Vibe Coding 10:29 Autonomy AI: From Intent to Delivery 14:06 A PM Workflow: Idea to Pull Request 17:16 Turning Team Knowledge into Product Signals 22:18 Guardrails for Safe Product Changes 26:42 Faster Iteration and Team Collaboration 30:35 Autonomous Product Delivery 34:32 Human Judgment and PM Skills 39:13 Prioritizing in a Faster Building Cycle 42:41 Where Teams Should Start with Agents 44:22 The Product Team of the Future 46:36 Innovation Q&A Connect with Tammuz * Website: https://autonomyai.io/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammuzdubnov/ Connect with Vit * Substack: https://anhourofinnovation.substack.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vit-lyoshin/ * X: https://x.com/vitlyoshin * Website: https://vitlyoshin.com/ Support the Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, you can support it by exploring the tools below. These are affiliate links, meaning the show earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. Kit: Email marketing that automates your growth. https://partners.kit.com/xqcc7ca2ahlm Google Workspace: A collaborative way of working in the cloud, from anywhere, on any device. https://referworkspace.app.goo.gl/A7wH Riverside: AI-powered platform that lets you record, edit, repurpose, and distribute studio-quality content as easily as if you had a crew behind you. https://riverside.partnerlinks.io/frjgalhip1rz For inquiries about sponsoring An Hour of Innovation, email [email protected]

Many product managers assume leadership is the next step after doing great execution work, but the transition is not that simple. In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Yue Zhao, product leadership coach and creator of The Uncommon Executive, about how product managers can prepare for leadership, why strong PMs sometimes struggle after being promoted, and how AI is changing product decision-making. You’ll learn: * How to know whether you are truly ready for product leadership * Why readiness is often visible in how other people seek your judgment * Why the habits that make someone a great PM can become leadership liabilities * How to broaden your scope before you have the leadership title * How to influence adjacent teams, senior leaders, and cross-functional partners * Whether courses, certifications, and brand-name programs actually help * What questions to ask before accepting your first product leadership role * How startup product leadership differs from product leadership in a large company * Why new leaders should not underestimate relationship-building and roadshows * Which decisions a product leader should make and which decisions the team should own * How to communicate hard changes without hiding the real context * Why AI makes product judgment, alignment, evals, and bottleneck thinking more important Yue Zhao is a product leader, executive coach, and creator of The Uncommon Executive. She helps product managers and leaders grow into broader leadership roles, make better decisions, build influence across organizations, and adapt to the changing expectations of product leadership in the age of AI. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:12 When You’re Ready for Product Leadership 03:15 Why Some Product Managers Struggle to Become Leaders 06:33 How to Build Leadership Skills 10:33 Are Leadership Courses Worth It? 14:14 Questions to Ask Before Taking the Role 20:22 Startup vs. Big-Company Leadership 25:29 Your First Six Months as a Leader 28:03 Decision-Making: What Leaders Should Own 32:14 How to Deliver Bad News 35:32 How AI Is Changing Product Leadership 42:23 AI Skills and Finding the Real Bottleneck 46:24 Will AI Replace Product Managers? 48:36 Final Advice for Aspiring Leaders 50:27 Innovation Q&A Connect with Yue * Website: https://theuncommonexecutive.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuezhao/ * Substack: https://news.theuncommonexecutive.com/ Connect with Vit * Substack: https://anhourofinnovation.substack.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vit-lyoshin/ * X: https://x.com/vitlyoshin * Website: https://vitlyoshin.com/ Support the Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, you can support it by exploring the tools below. These are affiliate links, meaning the show earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. MeetGeek: Record, transcribe, summarize, and share insights from every meeting. https://get.meetgeek.ai/yjteozr4m6ln Amplemarket: Step into the future of sales: Human + AI. Empower reps, uncover opportunities, and grow revenue. https://grow.amplemarket.com/04e068165684-affiliate Databox: Turn business performance data into clear answers your team can understand, explain, and act on – instantly. https://join.databox.com/vhw0wbr9qg9o For inquiries about sponsoring An Hour of Innovation, email [email protected]

AI companies are racing to build bigger data centers, but the real bottleneck may be electricity. In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Rob Gramlich, founder and president of Grid Strategies, about AI data centers, U.S. electricity demand, the electric grid, transmission bottlenecks, power generation, and who should pay for the infrastructure needed to support the AI boom. You’ll learn: * Why electricity and grid connections are becoming a bottleneck for AI data centers * Why U.S. electricity demand could grow by 166 gigawatts by 2030 * How the electric grid works across generation, transmission, and distribution * Why the U.S. has three major grid systems instead of one simple national grid * Why data centers can be built faster than grid infrastructure * Why utilities move slowly and what can happen if they connect things incorrectly * Whether AI data centers can bring their own power * Why near-term onsite power is mostly natural gas, solar, and batteries * Why new nuclear power is unlikely to solve the next five years of demand * Whether AI data centers could raise household electricity bills * Who should pay for transmission, substations, transformers, and grid upgrades * Why communities oppose AI data centers over rates, water, land, noise, taxes, and jobs * What policy changes could speed up generation and transmission buildout * Whether AI demand could help modernize the grid or strain it further Rob Gramlich is the founder and president of Grid Strategies, a consulting firm focused on transmission, power markets, and grid modernization. His work examines electricity demand growth, grid infrastructure, generation, interconnection, and the policies needed to expand the power system. Rob brings a practical expert view on what AI data centers mean for utilities, communities, energy markets, and the future of the electric grid. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:11 The Growing Demand for Electricity in AI 02:34 Understanding Data Centers and Their Power Needs 04:13 The Structure of the Electrical Grid 08:43 Challenges in Building Data Centers 12:25 Innovation Speed in Power Generation and Usage 13:29 On-site electricity generation for data centers 14:52 Future of coal electricity generation 15:49 Innovations for effective usage of electricity 17:23 Solar electricity generation 19:45 Who should pay for infrastructure and grid upgrades? 21:14 Controversies Surrounding AI Data Centers 25:02 Mini Data Centers and Mini Nuclear Power Plants 27:49 Realistic Solutions for Power Demand 28:58 Government Support and Policy Changes 30:18 Demand for gas, oil, and solar panels 32:35 Challenges in Meeting Future Demand 35:49 Optimistic outlook for the future of the grid 37:29 Innovation Q&A Connect with Rob * Website: https://gridstrategiesllc.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-gramlich-2a4b594/ * X: https://x.com/RobGramlichDC * National Load Growth Report 2025: https://gridstrategiesllc.com/wp-content/uploads/Grid-Strategies-National-Load-Growth-Report-2025.pdf Connect with Vit * Substack: https://anhourofinnovation.substack.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vit-lyoshin/ * X: https://x.com/vitlyoshin * Website: https://vitlyoshin.com/ Support the Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, you can support it by exploring the tools below. These are affiliate links, meaning the show earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. Kit: Email marketing that automates your growth. https://partners.kit.com/xqcc7ca2ahlm Google Workspace: A collaborative way of working in the cloud, from anywhere, on any device. https://referworkspace.app.goo.gl/A7wH Riverside: AI-powered platform that lets you record, edit, repurpose, and distribute studio-quality content as easily as if you had a crew behind you. https://riverside.partnerlinks.io/frjgalhip1rz For inquiries about sponsoring An Hour of Innovation, email [email protected]