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Listen "Adapting and Growing: Lessons in Product, Building AI Agents and Career Transitions | Murphy Tiggelaar, Product Manager at Amazon, AWS and AI Front Desk"
Episode Synopsis
Murphy Tiggelaar is a Product Leader with an impressive career spanning big tech and startups. From starting her journey in finance and analytics to leading innovative AI solutions as the Chief Product Officer at AI Front Desk. Murphy's professional journey highlights her ability to grow, adapt, and bring valuable, high-impact products to life. Moreover, she brings a wealth of experience across industries, a passion for AI agent technology, and a unique perspective on career transitions, work-life balance, and the evolving tech landscape.
In our conversation, we delve into:
Austin's evolution as a tech hub and startup ecosystem
The rise of AI agents and their real-world applications
Horizontal vs. Vertical approaches to building AI products
Insights on building customer-focused products and fostering strong teams
Taking career breaks and the value of hitting pause
Navigating career transitions and embracing change
And so much more
Some takeaways:
Austin’s energy makes it a top tech hub. Austin has transformed over the last decade. Its vibrant, youthful energy, strong startup culture, events like SXSW, and entrepreneurial programs make it a magnet for innovators.
Guardrails are essential when building AI tools. AI isn’t perfect, and models need well-defined prompts, safety checks, and continuous oversight. Without these, agents can stray off course and deliver poor user experiences.
The beauty of AI agents lies in efficiency and accuracy. By automating repetitive tasks like lead follow-ups and bookings, AI agents enable front desk staff to focus on building relationships and delivering better customer experiences. The result is greater efficiency without sacrificing the human touch.
Deep expertise matters when choosing verticals. While AI agents can work across industries, AI Front Desk has focused on fitness and franchises because they know the space so well. Specialization means they understand the nuances, set the right guardrails, and create solutions that truly fit the industry’s needs.
Lessons from Amazon: writing culture and and bias for action. Processes like the PRFAQ (Press Release and FAQs) help teams articulate a clear vision, align stakeholders, and ensure stakeholders have what they need to execute. Startups move quickly, so it’s important to balance thoroughness with bias for action. Sometimes a lightweight version of a process, like Amazon’s writing culture, works best to keep everyone aligned without slowing things down.
Taking a career break can be life-changing. Stepping back, like taking nine months to travel, gives you the space to reflect, recharge, and prioritize what’s next. It’s a unique chance to reset before diving into new challenges. Murphy’s advice: if you can do it, take the leap—career is a marathon, and stepping back can bring fresh energy and perspective.
It’s okay to switch jobs and embrace change. Whether it’s moving industries, taking on a new role, or adjusting for personal flexibility, change can open doors to better alignment with your values, lifestyle, and goals. Moving roles can make you better at your craft and open new opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
Where to find Murphy Tiggelaar:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtigg/
In this episode, we cover:
01:26 Introduction to Murphy Tiggelaar
04:06 Murphy's Career Journey
06:54 The Austin Tech Scene
12:18 AI Front Desk and AI Agents
15:27 Pros and Cons of AI Agents
19:41 Building Vertical vs Horizontal AI Agents
23:08 Lessons from Amazon
28:27 Taking a Career Break
33:18 Fast Five Questions
References:
AI Front Desk: https://aifrontdesk.com/
Entrepreneurs’ Organization: https://eonetwork.org/
South by Southwest, Asutin: https://www.sxsw.com/
Amazon’s PR/FAQ process
ShiftKey: https://www.shiftkey.com/
For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please email: [email protected]
In our conversation, we delve into:
Austin's evolution as a tech hub and startup ecosystem
The rise of AI agents and their real-world applications
Horizontal vs. Vertical approaches to building AI products
Insights on building customer-focused products and fostering strong teams
Taking career breaks and the value of hitting pause
Navigating career transitions and embracing change
And so much more
Some takeaways:
Austin’s energy makes it a top tech hub. Austin has transformed over the last decade. Its vibrant, youthful energy, strong startup culture, events like SXSW, and entrepreneurial programs make it a magnet for innovators.
Guardrails are essential when building AI tools. AI isn’t perfect, and models need well-defined prompts, safety checks, and continuous oversight. Without these, agents can stray off course and deliver poor user experiences.
The beauty of AI agents lies in efficiency and accuracy. By automating repetitive tasks like lead follow-ups and bookings, AI agents enable front desk staff to focus on building relationships and delivering better customer experiences. The result is greater efficiency without sacrificing the human touch.
Deep expertise matters when choosing verticals. While AI agents can work across industries, AI Front Desk has focused on fitness and franchises because they know the space so well. Specialization means they understand the nuances, set the right guardrails, and create solutions that truly fit the industry’s needs.
Lessons from Amazon: writing culture and and bias for action. Processes like the PRFAQ (Press Release and FAQs) help teams articulate a clear vision, align stakeholders, and ensure stakeholders have what they need to execute. Startups move quickly, so it’s important to balance thoroughness with bias for action. Sometimes a lightweight version of a process, like Amazon’s writing culture, works best to keep everyone aligned without slowing things down.
Taking a career break can be life-changing. Stepping back, like taking nine months to travel, gives you the space to reflect, recharge, and prioritize what’s next. It’s a unique chance to reset before diving into new challenges. Murphy’s advice: if you can do it, take the leap—career is a marathon, and stepping back can bring fresh energy and perspective.
It’s okay to switch jobs and embrace change. Whether it’s moving industries, taking on a new role, or adjusting for personal flexibility, change can open doors to better alignment with your values, lifestyle, and goals. Moving roles can make you better at your craft and open new opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
Where to find Murphy Tiggelaar:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtigg/
In this episode, we cover:
01:26 Introduction to Murphy Tiggelaar
04:06 Murphy's Career Journey
06:54 The Austin Tech Scene
12:18 AI Front Desk and AI Agents
15:27 Pros and Cons of AI Agents
19:41 Building Vertical vs Horizontal AI Agents
23:08 Lessons from Amazon
28:27 Taking a Career Break
33:18 Fast Five Questions
References:
AI Front Desk: https://aifrontdesk.com/
Entrepreneurs’ Organization: https://eonetwork.org/
South by Southwest, Asutin: https://www.sxsw.com/
Amazon’s PR/FAQ process
ShiftKey: https://www.shiftkey.com/
For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please email: [email protected]
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