Episode 97
Building trust for transformation in enterprise AI
Data Science Leaders | 32 min | February 21, 2026
When Shub Agarwal joined an early conversational AI startup, he was building products in uncharted territory with emerging technology few had heard of. By late 2019, Google and Meta were aggressively recruiting him. But a sudden personal loss made him rethink his priorities, leadership, and the impact he wanted to create.
From fast-growth startups to a financial regulator, he's codified a nine-step AI product framework, teaches at USC, and developed practical approaches to trust, governance, and AI agents in organizations. His story reflects intentional leadership in a rapidly evolving field.
You’ll hear:
- How leaders should think about AI agents as part of their teams and workflows
- Why stepping back at key moments makes you a better leader
- How to evaluate AI systems beyond performance metrics
