Experiencing Data w/ Brian T. O’Neill 174 - Why AI Adoption Moves at the Speed of User Trust Irina Malkova on Lessons Learned Building Data Products at Salesforce
Jul 23, 2025
Irina Malkova, VP of AI Engineering at Salesforce, dives into the synergy of AI and data analytics. She reveals how her team is transforming analytics with a Slack-based AI agent, aiming for smarter, faster decisions. Irina discusses the vital role user trust plays in AI adoption and shares insights on structuring data product teams effectively. She also highlights the challenges of demonstrating ROI in analytics and the crucial role of UX in user engagement with AI. A fascinating exploration of leadership in data and AI!
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AI Requires Intentional Experimentation
- AI development is far less predictable than traditional software or ML and requires much more intentional experimentation.
- Product managers and engineering managers must break AI projects into measurable hypotheses and experiments.
From Five Dashboards To A Slack App
- Irina described a Slack app that replaced five dashboards to help sellers quote consumption products faster.
- The app queries the same data via a semantic layer and knowledge graph to provide human-like answers.
Make PMs Own Trust And Adoption
- Put ownership of user trust and adoption squarely on product management, not engineering.
- Foster cross-PM culture and shared vision to avoid fragmented ownership of outcomes.