In this episode of Product Chats, Avi Yashchin, founder and CEO of Subconscious AI, joins host Rebecca Kalogeris to explore the future of market research through the lens of synthetic respondents, causal modeling, and behavioral economics. A former high-frequency Wall Street trader and product leader at IBM and Two Sigma, Avi shares how his desire
to understand the “why” behind human behavior led him to build a platform that could simulate it – at scale.
Described as “SimCity for Market Research,” Subconscious AI’s platform offers rapid, scientifically validated insights that reduce reliance on traditional surveys and focus groups. Avi discusses how their synthetic population—based on data from 800 million human respondents and grounded in 100 years of social science research—enables companies to run experiments, explore causation, and generate investment-grade recommendations in minutes.
The conversation also explores the ethical considerations of synthetic respondents, how Subconscious AI ensures model validity with human feedback, and why this new approach is more efficient, scalable, and aligned with the future of product strategy and decision-making.
Key Takeaways:
- From Wall Street to Behavioral AI – Avi’s career journey shaped a platform that answers not just what consumers do, but why.
- Simulated Insights at Scale – Subconscious AI runs experiments on 127 million synthetic respondents to test messaging, positioning, and behavior drivers faster and more cost-effectively than traditional methods.
- Causation Over Correlation – This isn’t about summarizing behavior—it’s about understanding the root causes and delivering prescriptive, not just descriptive, insights.
- Built with Ethics and Human Validation – Every model is stress-tested with human respondents, ensuring scientific rigor and responsible use.
Guest Bio Avi Yashchin is the founder and CEO of Subconscious AI, a company reshaping market research through synthetic respondents and causal behavioral modeling. His mission now is to close the say-do gap and give decision-makers deeper, faster, and more ethical access to what really drives human behavior.
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