In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining how products are built, designed, and experienced, Mohana Sudha Karumuri stands out as a voice of clarity and purpose. Working at the intersection of AI, design, and product strategy, She has built her career around a single principle and it is that technology should amplify what makes us human, not replace it.
In this exclusive interview, she shares her journey from marketing to AI-driven product innovation, and how empathy, curiosity, and data continue to shape her philosophy of product design in a rapidly evolving digital world.
From Curiosity to Craft: Building Products at the Intersection of AI and Human Behavior
Mohana Sudha Karumuri made it known in the Interview that her curiosity about human behavior and design naturally led her into the intersection of AI and product strategy.
Her journey began in marketing, where she designed e-commerce stores and optimized digital experiences for conversions. That’s where she became fascinated by decision-making, why people click, buy, and trust certain products.
She explained that curiosity led her to study user experience research. She also learned to balance intuition with evidence and understanding people deeply while interpreting data meaningfully. That combination became the foundation of how she builds her products today.
She adds that AI has accelerated that approach. She explained that experimentation is now faster, more dynamic, and more accessible. AI doesn’t replace creativity; it multiplies human potential. It’s reshaped how I think about design and strategy.
The AI-Augmented Product Manager
AI is transforming the role of the product manager, and Sudha believes adaptability is key.
She notes that Product management has always been a balance of strategy, empathy, and data, But with AI tools evolving so quickly, PMs must evolve too.
From language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to data platforms like Mixpanel and Amplitude, Sudha sees these technologies as catalysts for smarter, faster decision-making.
She further says that tools like Lovable and Claude make prototyping and testing ideas more iterative than ever. But even with AI at your fingertips, nothing replaces experience, judgment, and human intuition at least not yet.
Turning Concepts into Scalable Products
Having led multiple 0-to-1 product initiatives, Sudha approaches every project with a deep focus on empathy.
Every 0-to-1 journey starts with understanding pain points and the real problems users face. From there, she translated those insights into MVP experiments, quick prototypes, and measurable outcomes.
Her product philosophy is grounded in simplicity:
Validate the problem. Design the smallest solution that delivers delight. Scale only what sticks.
She adds that when you truly listen to users and design around their evolving behavior, growth becomes a natural outcome
Where Data Meets Intuition
For Sudha, data gives the “what,” but intuition gives the “why.”
Sudha made it understandable that the magic happens when you combine both. AI can uncover patterns and predict behaviors, but it can’t capture the subtle emotions or motivations that drive users. That’s where empathy comes in.
Her approach layers analytic with direct human context user interviews, observation, and active listening. And she adds that the best product decisions happen when data guides your choices and empathy shapes the experience.
Keeping AI Products Human-Centered
Sudha emphasizes that you talk to your users, and understand them as no tool can replace that.
Her work with Google’s GPay team solidified her belief that empathy must anchor every product decision. And when building AI-powered products, it’s easy to get caught up in technology and forget how people actually experience it.
That’s why she insists on collaboration between researchers, designers, and data scientists from day one. “We don’t just ask, ‘What can AI do?’ but ‘How will this make someone feel?’ True innovation happens when technology understands people and not the other way around.”
Entrepreneurship and the Art of Experimentation
Sudha’s entrepreneurial journey taught her that innovation rarely follows a straight path.
“Innovation isn’t linear, it’s a loop of curiosity, chaos, and learning,” she says. “Failure isn’t the enemy; stagnation is.”
Running her own startup reinforced her belief in iterative progress over perfection. She mentioned that she does not chase perfect solutions, but chase progress. Every idea is a hypothesis waiting to be tested. That mindset keeps her grounded yet forward-thinking.
The Future of Collaboration: Humans and AI as Creative Partners
Looking ahead, Sudha envisions AI as a true collaborator in the creative process.
She explained further that she picture teams where AI quietly handles the busywork; writing specs, summarizing research, surfacing insights so designers and engineers can focus on what they do best: creating.
At its best, she believes, AI won’t replace collaboration, rather, it will deepen it. Designers will move faster, engineers will prototype instantly, and product managers will spend more time talking to users than sitting in meetings.
The real magic happens when teams treat AI as a creative partner and also where humans bring empathy and judgment, and AI amplifies speed, precision, and imagination.
The Next Generation of AI-Driven Products
According to her, she predicts that the next wave of AI products will feel less like tools and more like companions
These systems, she believes, will understand not just what users do, but why offering personalization and emotional intelligence that feels natural and adaptive.
At the same time, no-code and low-code AI will democratize innovation, and anyone with an idea will be able to build something intelligent, and that democratization will spark a creative renaissance where empathy, storytelling, and problem-solving are just as valuable as algorithms.
And in that future, Sudha believes, trust will be the ultimate differentiator, and the products that stand out will be transparent, ethical, and deeply human.”
Advice for Creatives Entering the AI Era of Product Management
Sudha advised that anyone that is coming from a creative background already have a superpower, and that is understanding people.
Her advice for designers, writers, and other creatives looking to move into product management:
They should learn to lead with empathy because creativity begins with understanding.
They should ground their ideas in data as intuition starts the spark; evidence keeps it burning.
Lastly, they must learn how AI thinks. She further said that one doesn’t have to code , you just need to understand where AI excels and where it falls short.
She advised to use tools like ChatGPT, Notion AI, and Figma not just to create, but to test ideas quickly. The magic happens when you combine empathy with evidence. That’s how good ideas become products people can’t live without.
For Sudha, the future lies in scaling empathy.
She mentioned what’s next for her is exploring how humans and technology can grow together, and how creativity and curiosity can coexist with data and automation.
Her focus is on mentoring emerging product managers and helping teams use AI meaningfully, not just efficiently.
Technology alone doesn’t create progress, people do. The next phase of her work is about making AI more accessible, ethical, and deeply human. She want to help shape a future where technology amplifies what makes us most human, and in our ability to connect, create, and care.
