AI can’t replace knowing your users — here’s what product teams miss
Wed Feb 04 2026
Elizabeth Ferrao splits her time between product research and launching new products at C Spire. She started in engineering, moved into product, and now spends her days turning real customer conversations into ideas that actually matter.
In this episode, we get into:
✨ Why fast prototyping means nothing if you’re solving the wrong problem
🤖 The gap between what AI can automate and what only humans can understand
🔍 How continuous discovery actually works in practice
🎙️ Why hearing a customer’s voice beats any AI summary
🧩 What product teams get wrong about research, insight, and context
🤝 How engineering and product can work together without slowing each other down
If you build products, lead teams, work in engineering, or just want to get better at understanding people, this one’s worth your time.
🎧 Listen, learn, and subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping how tech gets built.
What would you like us to talk about next?
🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let top employers send you interview requests for roles that match your skills and experience. Get started here: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up
🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demo
Stay up to date with DevLab and hackajob:
X: @hackajobHQ
LinkedIn: hackajob
Facebook: hackajob
Instagram: @hackajob
TikTok: @hackajob
More
Elizabeth Ferrao splits her time between product research and launching new products at C Spire. She started in engineering, moved into product, and now spends her days turning real customer conversations into ideas that actually matter. In this episode, we get into: ✨ Why fast prototyping means nothing if you’re solving the wrong problem 🤖 The gap between what AI can automate and what only humans can understand 🔍 How continuous discovery actually works in practice 🎙️ Why hearing a customer’s voice beats any AI summary 🧩 What product teams get wrong about research, insight, and context 🤝 How engineering and product can work together without slowing each other down If you build products, lead teams, work in engineering, or just want to get better at understanding people, this one’s worth your time. 🎧 Listen, learn, and subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping how tech gets built. What would you like us to talk about next? 🔥Are you looking for a new role? Create your free hackajob profile and let top employers send you interview requests for roles that match your skills and experience. Get started here: https://hackajob.com/talent/sign-up 🔥Are you hiring? Discover how hackajob can connect you with top talent by booking a free, no-commitment trial: https://hackajob.com/employer/book-a-demo Stay up to date with DevLab and hackajob: X: @hackajobHQ LinkedIn: hackajob Facebook: hackajob Instagram: @hackajob TikTok: @hackajob