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Agentic AI Execution

Leena Agarwal

The podcast for TPMs, product managers, and builders shipping real AI systems. No hype, no frameworks — just honest conversations about what it actually takes to move from model to production.
Topics include agentic AI, AI program execution, stakeholder alignment, technical roadmaps, and building trust in AI-driven orgs. Hosted by Leena Agarwal, 18-year TPM veteran from Amazon and Meta.
New episodes every week. Built for tech leaders who ship.

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  • 28 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 28 min
  • English

Episodes 28

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  • S1 · E30
    September 25 · 28 min

    You Got Wings, Now What? Navigating the Agentic AI Wave with Shylaja | Ep 30

    In this episode of Agentic AI Execution, host Leena Agarwal sits down with tech leader Shylaja (ex-Anthropic, Airbnb, Amazon, Meta, Netflix) to explore how artificial intelligence and agentic workflows are reshaping Technical Program Management (TPM) and software development life cycles. **Timestamps:*** **00:00** - Introduction & Shylaja’s Background across Meta, Airbnb, and Amazon * **00:48** - The TPM Spectrum: 0-to-1 Products vs. 1-to-N Scaling * **02:18** - How the Agentic AI Wave is Transforming TPM Workflows * **03:45** - Automating Work vs. Refining Critical Judgment Calls * **05:15** - Setting Up Agents, MCP Connectors, and Model Selection * **06:12** - Defining "Done" & Forcing Functions for Production Readiness * **07:05** - Human-in-the-Loop: Prototypes, Security, and Edge Cases * **08:15** - Managing Risk, Speed Trade-offs, and Evolving SDLC * **09:30** - Practical Steps to Start Using AI Assistants Today * **10:40** - Advice for Organizations Adopting Agentic AI * **11:30** - Mindset for the Future: Embracing Career Inflection Points 🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS: * Connect with Shylaja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shylajar/ * Connect with Leena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/

  • September 20 · 30 min

    Voice AI: Demos vs. Production with Google Developer Expert Akshay | Ep 29

    Welcome to episode 29 of the Agentic AI Execution podcast! In this episode, Leena sits down with Akshay, a Google Developer Expert (GDE) for Android, Developer Advocate, and founder of the Android Engineers Community in India. Akshay shares his journey of building with Agentic AI, starting with a unique digital Ganesh Pandal powered by voice AI and GPT Live 1. The conversation dives deep into the realities of developer relations (DevRel), how to effectively use Gemini inside Android Studio, and the critical differences between a flashy AI demo and a resilient model that survives real-world production edge cases. **Key Topics Covered:** * **00:00** – Introduction and exploring the real gap between a flashy AI demo and one that survives production. * **01:01** – Demo: Building a digital Ganesh Pandal with voice AI so anyone can join the festival virtually. * **03:15** – The path to becoming a GDE and the importance of advocating for developers. * **08:00** – Leveraging Gemini AI in Android Studio for faster coding and documentation. * **10:30** – Protecting developer trust and providing quick-start AI templates via Agora .* **12:50** – Real-world lessons: What to do when your live tech demo breaks. * **22:14** – Navigating latency, background noise, and creating natural human-like voice agents . * **24:45** – Demos vs. Production: Why handling edge cases like low lighting and choppy video matters. * **27:10** – The massive untapped opportunity for Voice AI in children's toys across India. 🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS: * Connect with Akshay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandwana001/ * Connect with Leena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/

  • S1 · E28
    September 13 · 36 min

    People Over AI: The Scarce Skills TPMs Need in the Agentic AI Era | Ep 28

    In Episode 28 of Agentic AI Execution, host Leena Agarwal sits down with James (Senior PM, former Staff TPM, and author of The TPM Craft newsletter) to unpack how agentic workflows are reshaping technical leadership roles across startups, mid-sized companies, and large enterprises.James breaks down why human relationships matter more than ever, where trust still breaks down in agentic code generation (security, compliance, quality), and the exact skills TPMs must double down on to stay indispensable. Plus, he shares real-world projects he built using AI—including a short-form content blocker and a virtual bank app for kids! ⏱️ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Intro: Setting the Stage for the Agentic AI Era 0:45 – Roles, Trust, & The Secret Sauce for Using AI Well 21:13 – Scarce Skills TPMs Need as Execution Gets Cheaper 35:41 – Closing Thoughts 🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS: Subscribe to James’s Newsletter (The TPM Craft): https://thetpmcraft.substack.com/ Connect with James on LinkedIn: / jamzdayhuff Connect with Leena on LinkedIn: / leenaagarwal

  • S1 · E1
    September 7 · 37 min

    The dark side of AI productivity: burnout, bot-sitting, and survival in tech. | Ep 27

    In Episode 27 of the Agentic AI Execution podcast, host Leena sits down with Technical Program Manager and coach Liudmila to uncover how AI is doubling expected workloads in the tech industry. They dive into the reality of "bot-sitting" (spending hours fixing AI-generated mistakes), practical neuroscience-backed tools to stay grounded under pressure, and how to build sustainable execution systems without sacrificing your mental health. Key Topics Covered: * 00:00 – The hidden reality of AI expectations and tech worker fears * 01:36 – Liudmila’s career journey from test engineer to TPM * 16:45 – Real-time grounding exercises to manage pressure and anxiety * 24:30 – Is AI boosting productivity or creating 6.4 extra hours of "bot-sitting"? * 31:10 – Managing up and reframing career value in the era of AI agents * 35:38– Final advice on prioritizing life outside of work and avoiding burnout Links: * Connect with Liudmila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liudmila-gishman/ * Connect with Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/

  • S1 · E26
    August 30 · 19 min

    Stop AI Slop From Ruining Your Codebase | Ep 26

    In this episode AWS Community Peter break down a holistic framework for AI adoption. Discover why top-down AI mandates fail, how engineering and product teams must adapt their specifications, and why standard ROI metrics are measuring the wrong things.If your team is trying to figure out how to successfully roll out agentic AI workflows without sacrificing software reliability, this conversation is a must-watch. **What You'll Learn in This Episode:*** Why AI adoption is a holistic culture and process transformation, not just a tooling problem * Practical guardrails and linting rules to prevent AI-generated "code slop" * The real truth about measuring AI ROI and developer productivity metrics * The single biggest change engineering leaders should make on Monday morning **Episode Timestamps:*** **00:00** – Introduction: Meet Peter and the Agentic AI Execution Podcast* **01:10** – The People, Process, and Technology Framework for AI Adoption* **05:30** – Best Practices for Deploying Quality AI Agents* **08:40** – How to Prevent AI Slop and Handle Tech Debt* **13:00** – Measuring True AI Return on Investment (ROI)* **16:00** – Production-Ready Agentic AI: Startups vs. Enterprise Realities* **17:50** – One Thing Engineering Leaders Must Change This Monday Morning* **18:52** – Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts 🔗 Links: Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersankauskas/ Connect with Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/

  • S1 · E25
    August 24 · 35 min

    Why AI Pilots Fail? | Ep 25

    If your team is still running Story Points and Fibonacci on AI projects, today's guest says that math is already broken.In this episode, from actionable frameworks to the hard truths about AI ROI, Shivam argues that before you implement the technology, you absolutely must fix your broken processes first. We also dive into why we need "human in the *line*" instead of just "human in the *loop*," and exactly what a 30-60-90 day AI integration plan looks like for a mid-sized company.If you are navigating the chaos of AI, this is a must-listen episode!---### ⏱️ **Chapter Timestamps*** **3:31** - The Biggest Bottlenecks: Why agents fail to reach production* **5:45** - Surviving the Chaos: How the TPM role must evolve* **10:03** - The AI Truth: Balancing cost savings, productivity, and employee experience* **12:24** - The #1 reason Agentic AI pilots die (and why you need a charter)* **14:28** - "Human in the Line": Why you need to fix your processes before deploying AI* **19:22** - The Ultimate 30-60-90 Day AI Action Plan for mid-sized companies* **24:50** - Why traditional capacity tracking and methodologies belong out the door* **25:58** - Rethinking AI Security & handing over the keys to the kingdom* **28:20** - Essential skills PMs need for the Agentic AI era* **31:15** - 18 Months Out: Preparing for your new "L3" AI Co-worker* **33:00** - Finding our "uniquely human" purpose in the age of AI* **35:04** - Outro & Final Thoughts🔗 Links:* Connect with Shivam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivamkhullar/* Connect with Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/#AgenticAI #AgenticAIExecution

  • S1 · E24
    August 20 · 31 min

    Real AI vs. AI Wrappers: How VCs Spot Fake Agentic Startups (Ep. 24)

    She's evaluated hundreds of AI pitch decks — and she can spot a real agentic AI company from a wrapper in two sentences. In Episode 24, I sit down with Sonia, Managing Partner at Zentara Ventures and founder of Dekode Health, to unpack what actually separates AI companies with real ROI from the ones wrapping a chatbot around a spreadsheet and calling it a platform.Sonia isn't theorizing from the sidelines. She's an engineer by training who moved through product and marketing before landing on the venture side — and she's personally built and launched her own AI healthcare product, now in private pilot. Four exits, one IPO, and more than half a billion dollars raised as a C-level executive — she's built a due-diligence lens most investors don't have. ⏱️ Chapters:0:00 Intro 0:32 Sonia's Path: Engineer to Product to Marketing to VC 2:37 What "AI-Powered" Really Buys You in a Pitch5:09 Real AI vs. Wrapper: The VC Due Diligence Test 6:12 Why She Went Deep Before Going Wide 8:23 The 91% Problem: Marketers Faking Agentic Work10:45 The Two-Sentence Test for Fake Agentic A I13:06 Legal Exposure: Where Founders Overstate AI14:04 What Should Never Get Handed to an Agent 15:36 Agentic AI in Marketing: Why Humans Still Win 17:34 The Line Healthcare AI Should Never Cross 19:42 The ROI Paradox: 84% Positive vs. "It's All Hype" 22:10 AI Layoffs: Real Capability or Convenient Cover? 25:35 The Solopreneur Era (and Why You Still Need Humans) 27:04 Redefining Execution in 2026 29:42 What Changes by 2027 32:15 Where to Find Sonia + Dekode Health "Founders who treat AI as a marketing layer instead of an infrastructure layer — wrapping a ChatGPT or Claude API around a spreadsheet and calling it a platform — that's not a company. It's a feature at best." — Sonia 🔗 Links:* Connect with Sonia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniahunt/ * Connect with Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/ Subscribe for new episodes of Agentic AI Execution, where we go past the pitch deck to how AI actually gets built, funded, and used. #AgenticAI #AgenticAIExecution #VentureCapital #AIStartups #HealthcareAI

  • S1 · E23
    August 17 · 22 min

    Agentic AI is Changing Marketing, Ads & Customer Acquisition | Episode 23

    Are you throwing money into a black hole with paid ads? Deepti, founder of Uplaud and former product lead for Meta's monetization engine, explains why the future of growth isn't more ad spend—it's customer trust.In this episode of Agentic AI Execution with Leena Agarwal, we dive into why customer referrals convert 5x better than paid media, how agentic AI is transforming the way businesses acquire users, and why the tech stack of the future relies on authentic voices, not just algorithms. ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 - Intro: Customer Trust is the New Gold 1:13 - Deepti's Journey: From Meta to Startup Founder 4:50 - The Problem with Modern Ad Platforms 8:15 - Why 5-6% is Still a "Good" Conversion Rate 11:30 - How Uplaud Amplifies Authentic Customer Voices 16:45 - Uplaud's AI Stack: Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini 18:20 - Career Advice for PMs & Engineers in the AI Era 🔗 Links: Check out Uplaud: https://www.uplaud.ai/ Connect with Deepthi: / deepthirao05 Connect with Leena: / leenaagarwal

  • S1 · E23
    August 16 · 22 min

    Agentic AI is Changing Marketing, Ads & Customer Acquisition | Episode 23

    Are you throwing money into a black hole with paid ads? Deepti, founder of Uplaud and former product lead for Meta's monetization engine, explains why the future of growth isn't more ad spend—it's customer trust.In this episode of Agentic AI Execution with Leena Agarwal, we dive into why customer referrals convert 5x better than paid media, how agentic AI is transforming the way businesses acquire users, and why the tech stack of the future relies on authentic voices, not just algorithms.⏱️ Chapters:0:00 - Intro: Customer Trust is the New Gold1:13 - Deepti's Journey: From Meta to Startup Founder4:50 - The Problem with Modern Ad Platforms8:15 - Why 5-6% is Still a "Good" Conversion Rate11:30 - How Uplaud Amplifies Authentic Customer Voices16:45 - Uplaud's AI Stack: Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini18:20 - Career Advice for PMs & Engineers in the AI Era🔗 Links:* Check out Uplaud: https://www.uplaud.ai/* Connect with Deepthi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepthirao05/* Connect with Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/

  • S1 · E22
    August 16 · 33 min

    Good Judgment Beats Good Context | Episode 22

    Aadil has spent 16 years as a TPM across Apple, Google, Nike, and Humane — and he's convinced the biggest risk in the AI era isn't using these tools too little. It's reaching for them before asking whether you even need to. 🕒 Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & The Airtable Epiphany 00:53 - Why Good Judgment Beats Good Prompts 03:15 - Catching Dilemmas Early & Avoiding Agent Maintenance Overhead 05:10 - What to Delegate vs. What to Keep Control On 08:30 - TPMs Are Synthesizers, Not Producers 11:00 - How TPMs Stand Out in the AI Era 15:30 - What Hiring Managers Look For in Senior TPMs 19:00 - Startup Thinking vs. Big Tech Process Bloat 23:15 - Driving Velocity with Repeatable Systems 25:40 - Feedback Loops & Leadership Lessons from Apple 27:36 - When AI Agents Fail & Avoiding "Judgment Debt" 30:15 - Final Career Advice: Never Stop Learning 32:50 - Key Takeaways & Wrap-Up 🔗 Resources & Links:* * Aadil writes a newsletter on TPM leadership — https://artoftpm.substack.com/ * Connect with Aadil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aadilmaan/ * Connect with Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/

  • S1 · E21
    August 10 · 22 min

    Builders vs. Marketers with AI | Episode 21

    As Preethy highlights in the podcast, technical founders frequently fall into the trap of thinking "if I build a great product, it will sell itself". But as engineering and AI code generation become commoditized, building is no longer the bottleneck—customer validation and distribution are. Timestamps / Chapters 00:00 - Introduction: Why Advanced AI Isn't Everything 00:19 - Preeti’s Journey: 25 Years in Silicon Valley 00:45 - Evaluating AI Claims: Privacy, Hallucinations, & Security 01:15 - Questions Founders Must Answer Before Shipping AI01:30 - Agentic AI Capabilities & B2B vs. B2C Dynamics 02:00 - 2026: Moving from AI Adoption to Enterprise Production 02:30 - Solve Unsolvable Problems: Guardrails & Build vs. Buy 03:00 - Blitzscaling Speed vs. Cost & Safety Trade-offs 03:30 - 10x Growth Strategies & Agentic AI in Marketing 04:00 - What Technical Founders Get Wrong About Marketing 04:30 - Human Connection & The 3S Formula for Success

  • S1 · E20
    August 5 · 34 min

    The Perception Gap: Why Great Work Gets Overlooked | Episode 20

    Are you doing the best work of your career, yet someone else keeps getting the credit? In this episode of Agentic AI Execution, host Leena sits down with Uma, a leadership coach and the author of Sought After Leader. After spending more than two decades at Microsoft, Uma realized a hard truth: simply being great at your job and executing flawlessly is no longer enough to get you noticed—especially as AI takes over the execution layer. Tune in to learn how to make your value undeniable and ensure your name is spoken in the rooms where decisions are made. 🕒 Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction: Why great work isn't enough 00:52 - Uma's journey from Microsoft to writing Sought After Leader 04:22 - The SOAR Framework explained 07:54 - The H.U.M.A.N. Edge: 5 skills to stand out in the AI era 13:05 - Real-world case study: Closing the perception gap 20:48 - Strategic visibility vs. bragging 23:42 - Finding "Level 10" opportunities in the white space 31:40 - Final thoughts and where to find Uma 33:57 - Episode recap and takeaways 🔗 Resources & Links:* Read the Book: https://www.amazon.com/Sought-After-Leader-Great-Enough-Above-ebook/dp/B0H7L5W4VM/* Connect with Uma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uma-subramanian-limitless/* Connect with Leena:

  • S1 · E19
    August 4 · 50 min

    Will AI Take Your TPM Job? | LinkedIn Senior Staff TPM Ankur Gupta| Ep 19

    Could your program survive two weeks without you? If the answer is no, you’re not running an operation—you’re a single point of failure with a job title.In this episode of Agentic AI Execution, host Leena sits down with Ankur Gupta, Senior Staff TPM leading AI Infrastructure at LinkedIn (and former tech leader at Walmart). They tackle the burning question: Will AI replace technical program managers?Ankur breaks down why AI isn't taking your job, why status reporting was never the core value of a TPM, and how to build a "TPM Operating System" that runs seamlessly with AI agents while keeping human judgment at the center.---📌 KEY TAKEAWAYS & HIGHLIGHTS:• The Two-Week Test: How to structure programs that don't depend on your memory.• Status vs. Judgment: Give agents the status updates, but keep judgment to yourself.• Information Centralization & Work Decentralization: Scaling execution across 200+ teams.• The TPM Operating System: Operational, Collaboration, and Technical lenses.• Guardrails Over Memos: How to build real AI governance directly into technical systems.• Deterministic vs. Non-Deterministic Reliability: Managing AI agents that take different paths to a goal.---⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - The Two-Week Test: Are You a Single Point of Failure?01:03 - Ankur Gupta's Career Journey to LinkedIn AI Infrastructure02:20 - What Agentic AI Execution Means in Practice03:30 - The Evolving Role of a TPM in the AI Era06:05 - Information Centralization vs. Work Decentralization08:45 - Moving from Coordination to Strategic Tech Leadership11:20 - The "TPM Operating System" Framework17:12 - Live Walkthrough: Set Once, Run Forever Checklist22:50 - What Should NEVER Be Handed Off to an AI Agent?25:10 - Lowering the "Cost of Yes" & Influencing Humans28:30 - Who Holds Accountability When AI Agents Ship Code?30:50 - AI Governance & System Guardrails34:10 - Reliability in Non-Deterministic AI Systems37:40 - What TPMs Need to Do in the Next 12 Months to Stay Relevant42:15 - Practical Hands-On AI Hacks for Daily Workflows46:10 - Overcoming AI Anxiety & Final Advice49:18 - Key Takeaways & Episode Wrap Up🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: Ankur : https://www.linkedin.com/in/agupta03/Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/

  • S1 · E18
    July 30 · 23 min

    Build Structure - Don't Chase Tools | Ep. 18

    In this episode, I sit down with Michael—a technical product management leader who has spent the last ten years building TPM teams from scratch. Together, we explore what agentic architecture looks like inside an engineering org and the mentorship that separates teams winning with AI from those who are just experimenting. Michael shares his mental models for AI adoption, explaining why we need to move past the "experimentation phase" and focus on building durable systems. Whether you are a product manager, TPM, or engineer, this conversation provides practical advice on shifting your perspective from using AI as a tool to leading AI as a teammate. ——————————————————————⏱ CHAPTERS——————————————————————00:00 - Introduction to Agentic AI Execution 00:31 - Michael's Journey & Building a TPM Team 06:07 - Why 95% of AI Agents Fail to Reach Production 15:51 - How Engineering Teams Can Close the AI Adoption Gap 12:54 - Leading AI as a Teammate, Not a Tool 23:19 - Outro & TPM Breakdowns Substack Links & ResourcesMichael's substack: https://michigoetz.substack.com/aboutConnect with Us! Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michi-goetz Leena:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal

  • S1 · E17
    July 28 · 40 min

    Is Agentic AI FOMO Real? How to Lead When Half Your Team is AI Agents | Ep. 17

    In Episode #17 of the Agentic AI Execution Podcast, host Leena sits down with Myra Deshmukh—a 10-year Amazon veteran and founder of Leadership Lab—to break down what leadership actually looks like when half your team consists of AI agents. If you've been feeling "Agentic AI FOMO" or overwhelmed by how fast tech is moving, this episode is a must-watch. Myra shares her golden rule for AI, how to avoid outsourcing critical thinking, and why human judgment is your greatest asset in an automated world ---------------------------------------------------⏱️ TIMESTAMPS---------------------------------------------------00:00 - Intro: Leading when half your team is AI agents 00:32 - Welcome Myra Deshmukh (Leadership Lab & Ex-Amazon) 01:15 - Dealing with uncertainty & Agentic AI FOMO03:40 - Delegate work, keep judgment: Avoiding over-validation09:30 - How leadership style is changing in top tech companies 14:10 - Simple ways to build authentic relationships & trust at work 21:15 - The Manager's Insurance Policy: Verifying agent output29:50 - What to do if you feel overwhelmed or behind with AI 38:10 - Final advice for leaders & wrapping up ---------------------------------------------------🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS---------------------------------------------------• Check out Leadership Lab: https://www.leadership-lab.co/• Connect with Myra Deshmukh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myra-deshmukh/• Leena | Agentic AI Execution Podcast https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/ #AgenticAI #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #ProductManagement #LeadershipLab #TechLeadership

  • S1 · E16
    July 22 · 24 min

    What actually separates teams that ship AI from teams that are just demoing it?

    With AI accelerating data flow, human alignment and judgment have become the ultimate bottlenecks in product development. If you are still relying on traditional, slow decision hierarchies, you are falling behind in the age of agentic intelligence.In this episode of *Agentic AI Execution*, Anjali—who leads AI programs on Google Maps and mentors over 100 startup founders—breaks down how to deliver AI products at a scale of billions. We explore why human-in-the-loop is still non-negotiable despite rising automation, how the Technical Program Manager (TPM) role is morphing into a multi-hyphenate AI builder, and the practical agentic workflows she uses every day to reclaim her time .*⏳ Timestamps:* *0:00* - Introduction: Leading AI at Google Maps and mentoring 100+ AI founders *0:27* - Product thinking for 1 user vs. 1 billion users *1:10* - How LLMs changed data analysis and product architecture *2:23* - Human alignment is the new bottleneck in tech *3:30* - The shift from 5 decisions a week to 20 decisions a day *3:37* - Why Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are taking over leadership decisions *4:00* - Automation vs. Human-in-the-Loop: An AI reporting case study *5:55* - Why AI is a database, not a thinker *6:23* - Will TPM, PM, and Engineering roles merge into one? *7:45* - How AI makes product leaders proactive instead of reactive *9:33* - How to stay relevant and "add value + 1" in an AI-driven market *11:00* - Transitioning careers: From Admin or UX Designer to PM using AI *12:00* - Anjali's AI stack: Gemini, NotebookLM, Claude, and Anti-Gravity *13:50* - Predictions: Agents will own everything on Google Maps in 2 years *15:00* - How Anjali uses daily AI agents to filter emails, pings, and tasks *16:23* - Final thoughts: "No one can take your job but you" *Anjali:* [ / anjalikakkadp ]( / anjalikakkadp ) *Leena:* [ / leenaagarwal ]( / leenaagarwal ) *🔗 Connections:*

  • S1 · E15
    July 7 · 26 min

    60% of Web Traffic is AI: Why You Must Stop Building for Humans

    **The internet has fundamentally changed.** Over 60% of web traffic is now driven by AI agents, not humans. If you are still building landing pages and products exclusively for people, you are missing the biggest shift since the dot-com boom.In this episode of *Agentic AI Execution*, Mariane—Head of DevRel at You.com and founder of the Founders Bay community—breaks down why we are entering an AI renaissance rather than a bubble. We discuss why developers must evolve into "full-stack AI engineers" who manage 10-20 agents simultaneously to stay competitive. We also dive deep into the reality of building a massive community from scratch, the failure patterns of early-stage founders building in isolation, and the very real balancing act of scaling a career while managing mom guilt.**⏳ Timestamps:**0:00 - Over 60% of web traffic is now AI agents0:37 - Mariane's journey: Engineering leadership to You.com DevRel2:21 - The #1 reason AI founders fail: Building in isolation4:47 - Why you need to build websites for agents, not humans6:13 - AI Bubble vs. The AI Renaissance7:45 - Vibe Coding: Managing 10-20 agents at once9:11 - Handling bugs and CI/CD with AI-generated code11:21 - The rise of the Forward Deployed & Full Stack AI Engineer14:50 - Growing Founders Bay and building community from scratch18:30 - How to build an audience from zero today22:15 - The future of DevRel in an Agentic AI world23:30 - Managing burnout, parenting, and the reality of "mom guilt"26:06 - Closing thoughts: Keep building and showing up🔗 Connections:* Mariane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianebekker/ * Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/* Founders Bay Community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundersbaynetwork

  • S1 · E14
    June 30 · 20 min

    Why AI Agents Still Make Wrong Calls — Even With Perfect Memory | Adelina, Founder of Rory Plans

    What if the hardest problem in AI agents isn't memory — it's judgment?In this episode of Agentic AI Execution, I sit down with Adelina — former colleague at Cruise, later at Vercel, and now founder of Rory Plans, building AI agents for organizational decision-making.We get into why agents with perfect memory still make the wrong recommendation, why bad decisions compound faster than you'd think, and what she wishes she'd known before quitting her job to start her company.In this conversation:→ Why memory tells an agent what happened — but not what matters→ What Cruise taught her about decisions under uncertainty, and how it applies to AI agents today→ Why Rory Brain exists to capture judgment, not just information→ Running "Lunch and Hack" events and what builders are getting wrong with AI agent memory→ Why she believes organizational intelligence — not bigger models — will define the winners in AI→ Her advice to founders: spend 80% of your time with customers, 20% building🔗 Connections:* Adelina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelinamartiniuc/* Leena: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/* Rory Plans: https://roryplans.aiTimestamps:00:00 Intro00:26 Adelina's journey: Cruise → Vercel → founding Rory Plans02:30 Why judgment is harder than memory for AI agents05:00 What Cruise taught her about decisions at scale07:30 Building Rory Brain to capture organizational judgment10:30 Lunch and Hack: what builders get wrong about agent memory13:30 Why organizational intelligence will define AI's winners17:00 Advice for founders: customers over building20:05 Closing takeaways + where to find Adelina#AgenticAI , #AIAgents , #TPM , #AI

  • S1 · E11
    June 24 · 30 min

    Why Your AI Agent is One API Key Away From a $20,000 Disaster 💸

    *Are you vibe coding your way into a massive cloud billing nightmare?*AI agents are already writing code, reviewing ads, and making autonomous decisions. But who is actually watching them? In this episode, Leena sits down with Lulu, a data infrastructure expert who has scaled systems at Capital One, Block, and Reddit.They break down the "real talk" of scaling AI safely, why AI-generated code is breaking in production, and how a single unmonitored API key can cause a $20,000 disaster in less than 48 hours. If you are building with LLMs, this breakdown of infrastructure, guardrails, and cost-optimization will save your budget and your production systems.👇 *SUBSCRIBE* for more deep dives into the reality of engineering the AI boom.⏱️ Timestamps & Highlights *00:38* — Lulu’s journey: Inside data teams at Capital One, Block, & Reddit. *01:10* — Why your data infrastructure won't work at AI scale. *02:30* — How Reddit automates 90% of ad reviews using Gen AI enrichment. *04:30* — The hidden cost trap: Snowflake & Databricks vs. LLM scaling. *06:20* — Why running massive frontier models in production will "burn your car". *07:05* — Stop using frontier models for simple tasks (The Small Model Strategy). *09:20* — Why Stanford & Berkeley benchmarks are lying to you about real enterprise costs. *11:15* — What is "Contract-First Development" and why does AI code break? *15:00* — Building "seatbelts" for AI: Secure Kubernetes pods and real-time execution auditing. *18:15* — Startups vs. Enterprises: Compliance, SOC2, and the future of agent security. *21:30* — The Nightmare Scenario: Leaking API keys to your local coding agent. *23:00* — Lightning Round: The one hot take on AI code that engineers HATE. 🔗 🔗 Connections: Connect with Lulu: / luluchengengineeratheart Connect with Leena: / leenaagarwal

  • S1 · E12
    June 16 · 32 min

    Why AI Products Fail: Faster Execution Isn't Enough | Ex-Meta & Microsoft PM Revital

    Engineering velocity just skyrocketed. Code is being written, tested, and shipped 10x faster than ever before thanks to generative and agentic AI.And yet — product failure rates are rising.Why? Because speeding up execution doesn't automatically mean progress. The bottleneck was never engineering. It was always judgment.In this episode, host Leena sits down with Revital — executive coach, startup advisor, and former product leader at Meta and Microsoft. With a career spanning BCG management consulting, finance, and chief of staff roles, Revital brings a deeply strategic lens to the AI transition every PM is navigating right now.We get into why Andrew Ng says PM is the new bottleneck in tech, how leaders use data to hide from hard decisions, and why human judgment under uncertainty is the ultimate competitive moat in the age of AI agents.If you're a PM, TPM, or tech leader navigating layoffs, AI anxiety, and shrinking team ratios — this is your blueprint.🔗 Work with Revital: invergency.com⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction: From BCG to Meta & Microsoft Product Leader01:25 – Navigating a Non-Linear Career (Letting Go of the Grand Plan)04:10 – What Shipping to Billions Teaches You About Psychological Safety07:35 – Safe Experimentation: B2B vs. B2C Startup Strategy11:05 – Is PM the New Bottleneck? The PM-to-Engineer Ratio Shift14:20 – Execution vs. Judgment: What AI Cannot Automate17:15 – The Decision Problem in Disguise (Are You Polishing Decks?)20:00 – The Human Edge: Why "The Glue" Matters More Than Ever22:50 – Imposter Syndrome, Perfectionism & Internal Narratives26:25 – Layoffs & AI Anxiety: The Truth About Losing Your Job to AI29:40 – Rebranding Networking: Connect Without Feeling Salesy31:10 – Rapid Fire: Self-Awareness & What a Great PM Looks Like in 5 Years 🔗 Connections:Connect with * Revital: https://www.linkedin.com/in/revitalpadovitz/* Connect with Leena : https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenaagarwal/

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