AI Strategy Not Required and More Truths About Transformation

Dec 16, 2025

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"And I tell all my clients, you all are in transformation. If you are not transforming, you are dying." Gabrielle Bufrem

In this episode of Hard Calls, Gabrielle Bufrem and host Trisha Price explore what transformation truly means, why trust is the currency that unlocks everything else, and how focus, fewer products, and AI work together to build products customers will love.

Gabi didn't set out to become a product leadership coach. After building products across nine industries and three continents, she realized her real passion was helping leaders to make the shift from feature factories to outcome-driven products.

But here's what makes her approach different: she knows transformation isn't a project you complete. It's the permanent momentum of building products that matter to your customers.

Here's what you'll discover:

Why every company is in constant transformation. Gabi reframes transformation as permanent evolution, not a one-time initiative.

How to earn trust when you're starting from a deficit. Product teams often inherit "trust debt" from past failures. Gabi shares her framework on how to deliver business outcomes that the organization actually cares about, even if they don't yet understand product speak.

The difference between empowered teams and abandoned teams. Gabi reveals why truly empowered teams need more coaching, not less, and what that coaching actually looks like.

Why you don’t need an AI strategy. Gabi challenges the hype and breaks down when AI works as a solution lever versus when it's just noise masking a lack of strategy.

The energy audit that changes everything. Gabi's energy list exercise surfaces where people waste time on work that doesn't move the needle, and often doesn't need to be done by them at all.

Episode Chapters

(01:28) Introduction and Gabi's Path to Product Leadership
(02:52) The Unconventional Journey from Google Intern to Coach
(07:35) The Hard Call of Leaving Product to Become a Coach
(11:32) How to Know If a Company Is Ready for Transformation
(15:33) The Uncomfortable Truths Leaders Must Confront
(17:15) Starting with All-Star Teams and Building from Success
(21:22) The Trust Problem: Earning Credibility from Deficit
(23:06) Why Empowered Teams Need More Coaching, Not Less
(27:06) AI as a Lever, Not a Strategy
(32:21) How AI Is Accelerating Discovery and Prototyping
(34:09) Why Engineers Are More Valuable Than Ever
(36:14) The Energy Audit: What Brings You Joy vs. What Drains You
(38:58) The Calendar Test: Do You Really Need to Be There
(42:35) Making the Hard Call: Choosing What to Focus On

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Presented by Pendo. Discover more insights at pendo.io or connect with Trisha Price on LinkedIn.