How to Build AI Fast with Daniel Sternberg, Former Notion Head of Data

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May 27, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Daniel Sternberg, a seasoned AI executive and former Head of Data at Notion, shares his insights on swiftly building AI products. He reveals how Notion AI transitioned from concept to a revenue-generating tool within weeks, stressing the need for realistic expectations around AI capabilities. Daniel discusses the evolving role of data leadership, advocating for data teams to drive innovation rather than serve merely as support. He highlights collaboration, human expertise, and a learning mindset as keys to navigating the fast-changing AI landscape.

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INSIGHT

Balance AI Potential and Reality

Push AI technology to its frontier but stay realistic about current capabilities.
Clearly communicate to the company both the transformative potential and present limitations of AI.

INSIGHT

Data Role Split in Companies

Data leaders split time between internal decision support and powering product optimization.
The balance varies by company nature but tends to favor internal analytics overall.

ANECDOTE

Founder-Led Notion AI Start

Notion AI began as a founder-led initiative, working rapidly with a small cross-functional team.
They launched a waitlist shortly after ChatGPT’s release and scaled quickly to millions of users.

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What does it really take to build, ship, and scale AI fast? Today on Next Gen Builders, Francois is joined by Daniel Sternberg, former Head of Data at Notion and Gusto, who shares lessons learned from the development of Notion AI and the evolving role of data leadership in AI-first organizations.

Daniel offers an inside look at Notion AI’s rapid development, revealing how a CEO-driven push transformed into a revenue-generating product just a month after ChatGPT launched. He highlights the importance of balancing excitement about these new AI tools with a clear understanding of their limitations. Daniel also encourages organizations to adopt AI broadly, not just within specialized teams.

Daniel & Francois also explore the evolving role of data leadership in SaaS, emphasizing why data teams need to move beyond being simple service providers. Whether you’re leading AI projects or building data-driven products, Daniel’s insights provide valuable guidance for leaders navigating the fast-changing AI landscape.

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Guest Bio

Daniel Sternberg is a seasoned data science and AI executive. He currently advises startups as a fractional data and AI executive, helping organizations build high-performing data teams and leverage AI for product and operational excellence. Prior, he served as Head of Data at Notion where he guided the company through a period of rapid user growth and pioneered the launch of advanced AI-powered features.

His leadership was instrumental in scaling Notion’s data infrastructure and integrating generative AI capabilities into the platform, supporting both product innovation and business expansion. His career is marked by a commitment to data-driven decision-making, technical leadership, and the thoughtful integration of AI into everyday tools.

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Guest Quote

"There's this idea that AI features can be prioritized and shipped like any other product feature, but there's an added dimension: does it actually work? You don't know if it works until you build it. So you should never promise a ship date until you're confident in the quality. The tech has to prove itself first, and only then should you align marketing or product engineering behind it." – Daniel Sternberg

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Time Stamps

00:00 Episode Start

02:00 The role of a SaaS data leader

07:40 How the data function will evolve

16:40 Building Notion AI

20:40 Launching with a flood of interest

22:50 Don't quit while you're ahead

24:45 The power of a CEO Founder

27:30 Prioritizing speed and flexibility

31:10 Lessons learned from the Notion AI launch

27:20 Democratizing AI responsibility

40:55 Daniel's "Oh Sh*t Moment"

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