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Buckle up, tech fam! Every week, our dynamic duo “Spark” ✨ & “Trouble”😉 share some seriously cool learning resources we stumbled upon.

Product Labs🔬: Decoding Exec

Nervous chattering and twiddling your thumbs, before the next meeting with your “Exec”? Tired of talking to yourself and correcting yourself? Take a break and log in to Exec, with its AI-based Roleplays to practice your pitch-perfect conversation.

What’s in it for you?

Launched in 2019, Exec provides coaching and training services for corporates. They have a network of skilled mentors and coaches across the globe. However, today we will be focusing on the AI roleplay feature of Exec.

Exec's expansion from its personal mentoring and coaching services to AI-based role-play is a great example of the Innovation Ambition Matrix.

Let’s look at how these pan out in the case of Exec:

• Core: Exec's original talent development platform, which manages coaching and training programs, represents its core innovation, continuously optimized for existing customers.

• Adjacent: The expansion into various use cases like employee retention and internal mobility, along with the flexible credit system, exemplifies Exec's adjacent innovations, extending its existing capabilities to new contexts.

• Transformational: Exec's introduction of AI-based role-play features marks a transformational innovation, offering a radically new product that could potentially reshape the talent development market and create new opportunities.

Exec allows users to access a range of scenarios for roleplays but only paid users can create custom scenarios. The magic in Exec is that it mimics a real conversation by creating an adaptive audio conversation.

• Pre-built and Custom Scenarios: Users have the flexibility to choose from a library of pre-built scenarios or create their own custom situations. This feature applies the "Jobs to be Done" framework, allowing the product to cater to specific user needs and contexts.

• Voice-based AI Interactions: The core of the product is its voice-based conversations with AI, simulating real-life interactions. This feature leverages the "Natural User Interface" principle, making the learning experience more intuitive and immersive.

• Detailed Evaluation and Feedback: After each role-play, users receive a performance score and detailed feedback. This aligns with the "Closed Feedback Loop" product management principle, ensuring continuous improvement for users.

• Adaptive Learning: The AI seems to adjust based on user responses, which suggests the implementation of a "Machine Learning" framework to personalize the learning experience over time.

• Cross-session Note Saving: The ability to save notes across sessions indicates the use of a "User-Centered Design" approach, focusing on user convenience and continuity of learning.

What’s the intrigue?

Now, if you are our regular reader, you may remember we covered Yoodli, another AI-based public speaking, coaching assistant.

Though there is some overlap in the application of both, Yoodli and Exec are significantly different as well.

Exec primarily focuses on role-playing and conversational AI. It can simulate real-world interactions, making it ideal for practicing communication skills in various scenarios. For instance, you could use Exec to practice a job interview, negotiate a deal, or simply have a casual conversation.

Yoodli, on the other hand, is more focused on video analysis and feedback. It provides detailed insights into your speech, including pace, tone, and word choice. Yoodli is particularly useful for improving public speaking skills, presentation delivery, and overall communication effectiveness.

But there is one striking difference, while Yoodli is an AI first product, Exec has just introduced its first AI-powered feature of role play. Prior to this, Exec was a talent development platform that helped companies design and manage coaching and training programs.

Also, another intrigue is the lack of YouTube & Instagram influencers who have reviewed Exec. It is quite puzzling that YouTube & Instagram influencers have not reviewed Exec, considering how quickly they embrace new AI tools and features.

Spark and Trouble have tried out Exec a few times and are yet to hit the Gold rating, all the best to folks to get there!

Your Wish, Our Command 🙌

You Asked 🙋‍♀️, We Answered ✔️

Question: OpenAI’s o1 demo is seriously mind-blowing, given its high level of reasoning and ability to solve complex problems. But it also raises a concern about the job market. How might the skills required change as a result of the integration of OpenAI o1, and what new skills will be in demand?

Answer: OpenAI's o1 demo indeed showcases impressive reasoning and problem-solving capabilities. As AI systems like o1 become more integrated, we'll likely see a decreased demand for roles focused on routine cognitive tasks and basic problem-solving.

However, this shift will create new opportunities. Skills in AI prompt engineering, model fine-tuning, and AI-human collaboration will become increasingly valuable. There will be a growing need for professionals who can effectively frame problems for AI systems, interpret and validate their outputs, and apply ethical considerations to AI use.

Critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence will remain uniquely human strengths. Jobs requiring complex decision-making, interpersonal skills, and interdisciplinary thinking will thrive. Additionally, skills in AI governance, explainable AI, and AI safety will be in high demand as we navigate the ethical and societal implications of these powerful technologies.

By the way, if you haven’t checked out the demos yet, do check out this playlist 👇