This article is based on Vinod’s appearance at the Product Operations Summit in Las Vegas, 2024.

Revolutionizing the journey of entrepreneurship requires a human-centered approach to AI. 

I’m Vinod Suresh, a product leader at GoDaddy, and my experience across Fortune 10, 50, and 60 companies has shaped my perspective on how the right balance of data-driven experimentation and human insight can transform complex customer challenges into seamless, impactful solutions. 

At GoDaddy, our commitment to empowering small and medium businesses (SMBs) led us to create Airo—a market-defining “business in a box” experience built on the principles of simplicity, speed, and innovation. 

In this article, I’ll walk you through our approach to making AI accessible for entrepreneurs, the risks and rewards of focusing deeply on one transformative idea, and the strategies that have driven GoDaddy’s growth while enhancing the customer journey from ideation to market success.

Creating magic with human-centric AI

When it comes to creating impactful, human-centered AI, I like to think of it as the intersection of science and art. This is where the magic happens—when data and human intuition meet. 

Data tells us so much, but it’s only when we combine it with the human side—design, research, empathy—that we can create something truly transformative. The goal is to accelerate that sense of wonder and magic, making products and experiences that resonate on a deeper level.

In my approach to product development, I always begin by asking three fundamental questions. These questions are essential to framing the problem and aligning our focus:

  1. What is the real problem people need us to solve?
  2. How will we know we’ve solved it?
  3. How will we test, learn, and iterate to scale our solution?

While these may sound simple, these questions anchor us in a clear purpose and ensure we’re continuously improving. I follow a framework I call validate, iterate, and scale. This aligns with the “crawl, walk, run” approach some may be familiar with, and it resonates with the idea of balancing efficiency and growth.

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Validate, iterate, scale: A framework in action

This framework has guided my work across various companies and industries, and I want to share a recent example that illustrates its impact. 

Let’s focus on product reviews. 

In my experience, creating value in product reviews has worked across sectors—from Walmart to AB InBev and now at GoDaddy. Each of these organizations has unique goals and challenges, but the principles remain consistent.

Product reviews are critical in shaping customer decisions, so my team and I put this feedback at the core of our process. We validate by listening to what customers are saying, identify patterns, and recognize what can be improved. 

From there, we iterate based on feedback and refine our approach before scaling up. This framework has worked at both Fortune 1 companies and consumer goods firms, proving adaptable across different business models.