AI Product Leader
Weekly conversations with AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.
AI Product Leader
Afraid You're Falling Behind in AI? Watch This First (with Viktoria Otstavnaya)
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THE GUEST
Viktoria Otstavnaya is a Principal Product Manager specializing in modernizing complex systems and leading large-scale product transformations across telecom, fintech, healthcare, and utilities. Throughout her career, she's helped organizations dramatically reduce product launch times, accelerate customer onboarding, and deliver operational improvements through strong product leadership and cross-functional collaboration.
With a background in software engineering and early experience applying AI to automate complex business processes, Viktoria brings a practical perspective on how product managers can successfully adopt AI, work effectively with AI vendors, and build confidence through hands-on experimentation.
THE SUMMARY
In this episode, Viktoria shares how her career evolved from Android development to product management, why understanding technology at a deeper level makes product leaders more effective, and how she began working with AI years before generative AI became mainstream. She discusses real-world lessons from integrating AI into enterprise products, including how product managers can get better results from third-party AI solutions by understanding vendor configurations, APIs, and implementation best practices.
The conversation also explores the human side of AI adoption. Viktoria reflects on the fear many professionals feel about falling behind, explains how practical projects helped her build confidence, and offers advice for anyone looking to develop AI skills. Whether you're leading AI products today or preparing for your first AI initiative, this episode offers actionable guidance on learning, experimenting, and staying effective in a rapidly changing field.
THE SHOW
Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.
THE LINKS
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Viktoria Otstavnaya
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viktoria-otstavnaya/
My links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/
AI Career Boost: https://www.aicareerboost.com/