The Complicated Reality of AI Implementation in Engineering Teams

I’ve spent most of my career believing that technical sophistication was the key to solving complex problems. As an AI founder turned AI product leader, I was convinced that the most advanced model, the most intricate architecture, would always win. But my experience scaling AI solutions at Apollo.io taught me a radically different lesson: The most critical factor in AI success isn’t technology — it’s a deep understanding of the human workflow you want to augment with AI.

My career path began in the trenches of outbound sales,…