567: How AI Is revolutionizing the product innovation process – with MIT Professor David Robertson, PhD

Episode notes

Transforming customer insight with AI - for product managers Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, I sit down with Dr. David Robertson, senior lecturer at MIT Sloan and co-founder of ProtoBoost AI, to explore the transformative impact of AI on the innovation process. Drawing on decades of experience in product management and innovation, David Robertson discusses how product managers can leverage AI at every stage of the innovation lifecycle—from customer research and need-finding to prototyping, business case development, and cross-functional coordination. The episode covers practical challenges product managers face, ways AI can augment key skills, and the future potential and risks of AI-driven innovation. Introduction Our guest is Dr. David Robertson, a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management. We are talking about the impact of AI on the innovation process. David is the author of Brick by Brick , the book on LEGO's rebound from near bankruptcy around 2003, and the author of The Power of Little Ideas on complementary innovation. David spent five years at McKinsey leading the product development practice and has served as CEO of multiple tech companies.