How Human Connection Drives Innovation in the AI-Powered Hybrid Workplace

In this episode of the AlchemistX Innovators Inside Podcast, Ian Bergman gets philosophical with Ciara Peter, Senior Vice President of Product at Robin, to explore how AI and hybrid work are reshaping the future of innovation. Ciara draws on 18 years in B2B SaaS and her product leadership at Robin to unpack:

• Redefining Product Management: Why the PM’s real job is strategic customer research and long-term ownership, not just feature delivery.
  

• Automating Busywork: How AI assistants can free teams from routine tasks—saving thousands of days of wasted effort—and surface the real problems to solve.
  

• Human Connection as a Competitive Edge: The case for intentional in-office days, serendipitous encounters, and why the “busywork” that builds empathy still matters.
  

• Designing the Ideal Hybrid Playbook: Introducing Robin’s collaboration score, space-booking automations, and data-driven policies that balance employee sentiment and workspace analytics.
  

• Measuring Success: Key KPIs—from adoption and retention to task funnels—that reveal whether new features truly land and deliver value.
  

Tune in to discover actionable takeaways on harnessing AI to automate the mundane, crafting spaces that foster real human interaction, and leading product innovation in a world where technology accelerates teamwork—but only human insight sparks true transformation.

For more episodes and resources, visit https://www.alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts.