X-Team

The challenge ahead is to use AI to accelerate innovation while keeping people, customers, and long-term trust at the center. AI is transforming what’s possible for engineering teams, but it also raises new responsibilities. Leaders must balance experimentation with accountability. “We are still kind of assessing what can be accomplished with AI versus… something that requires more human intervention. I think the landscape is going to be fundamentally different in a few short years.” — Suresh Teckchandani, VP of Product and Engineering at Ancestry.

Want to finish projects faster and improve their quality at the same time? Hire smarter. A game developer’s portfolio and experience only tells part of the story. Here’s how to spot real talent: 🔹 Test problem-solving skills to see how they think and work under pressure. 🔹 Assess collaboration style to make sure they fit into your team culture. 🔹 Ask how they stay on top of industry trends. #Gaming #VideoGames #GameDevelopment #GameDevelopers #KeepMovingForward

When a production issue hits, the instinct for most engineers is to dive into problem-solving, whether it’s to add more logging, more alerts, or more diagnostics. Mike Gibson, Chief Technology Officer at Planet DDS, says that’s not where leadership starts. “What we need to focus on is how we can better impact the client experience,” he explains. “Get the service back up and running first—then do the root cause analysis.” For Mike, empathy and clarity build the trust that unlocks accountability, autonomy, and speed within teams.

AI’s impact on sports betting goes far beyond automation. Justin Kerestes, SVP of Engineering at Fanatics, sees huge potential in how generative AI can reshape trading and pricing. “The way you can apply AI to solving trading-specific problems is incredibly exciting. If you can offer better odds, more personalized odds, and more cash-out capabilities than anyone else—that’s where AI really changes the game.” For Justin, the near future of innovation is about using AI to deliver smarter, more dynamic experiences for every customer.

When you reward developers for impact instead of constant motion, you build a team that can scale with confidence. Here’s what that looks like in practice.

Most AI programs start with a mandate. Andy Sen took the opposite path. As CTO and co-founder of AppDirect, he opened an AI playground to his 1,000-person organization and watched what happened when people were free to experiment without pressure. HR built tools. Finance automated workflows. Marketing shipped chatbots. Innovation spread from everywhere else, rather than coming from the top. In this week's newsletter, we're highlighting his conversation with Gemma E. Versace as they talk about why trust drives adoption, how small wins unlock momentum, and what leaders often get wrong about AI readiness. Where do you think most organizations go wrong?

If you're in a product leadership role at a major org, you might be thinking about building products wrong. According to Suresh Teckchandani, VP of product and engineering at Ancestry, when making build vs. buy decisions, it's key to consider the role proprietary tech is playing in your org before you outsource its creation. “The rule of thumb that I use is that if something is core to the company's business, usually [we’re] building it in house, so that we can add new features to it, enhance it to our needs.” Check out the full episode of Keep Moving Forward with Suresh for more expert product insights!

IT teams often react to new tech with caution: monitoring usage, restricting tools, or putting up barriers. Andy Sen, chief technology officer and co-founder at AppDirect took the opposite path. “When we have visibility over AI initiatives, we use that to celebrate them.” Andy's team doesn't give into fear when it comes to giving everyone access to use and learn from AI tools. Instead they highlight wins, showcase builders, and encourage others to try brining their own ideas to life—ultimately transforming AppDirect's culture into one of experimentation and creativity. Listen to the full episode of Keep Moving Forward with Andy to hear how he did it!

Our Global Chief Customer Officer, Gemma E. Versace is taking the stage at the #CCOSummit in London tomorrow. She’ll be joining a brilliant panel of CS leaders unpacking how AI is transforming customer success, from sharper predictions to deeper engagement and stronger loyalty. If you’re attending, don’t miss it. Big conversations ahead!

“Anything that can be automated should be automated in this AI age. We have the tools now.” AI isn’t just about new tech features or hype. For Suresh Teckchandani, VP of product and engineering at Ancestry it’s a way to free people up to focus on real impact. His advice: use AI to handle the boring, repetitive work, and reinvest the time saved into delivering customer-facing value.