In this episode, Andrew Saxe, VP of Product at Smartling, joins host Rebecca Kalogeris to reflect on the changing nature of product leadership. Drawing on 30 years in product – 15 of them at Smartling – Andrew shares what’s changed, what still matters, and how to lead product teams that thrive in a world of real-time data, rising customer expectations, and AI-driven competition.
Key Takeaways:
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- Speed of Development – Today’s teams iterate and launch faster than ever before – sometimes daily.
- Data with Context – More behavioral data is great, but qualitative insight remains essential.
- User-Centered Customization – In modern enterprise SaaS, customers expect the product to fit them, not the other way around.
- AI That Solves Problems – Smartling’s approach to AI isn’t about hype. It’s about improving translation quality and transparency.
Andrew also shares how product managers can evaluate AI tools, align product goals with customer needs, and avoid the trap of building just for buzz.
Guest Bio
Andrew Saxe is the Vice President of Product at Smartling, an AI-powered enterprise translation platform. With 30 years of experience in product leadership, Andrew has helped guide Smartling’s transformation from manual workflows to intelligent automation. He is passionate about cross-functional collaboration, data-informed decision-making, and building AI products that actually deliver value.
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