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Event Recap: Insights from AI Product Builders — What It Really Takes to Build AI Products That Work

  • Writer: Jenny Kay Pollock
    Jenny Kay Pollock
  • Jun 18
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 18


Two women at the WOMEN x AI Product Builders event smiling and talking in front of a brick wall with a neon blue "VAPI" sign. Both wear name tags and appear joyful.

Hosted by WOMEN x AI, Gossip Goblin and Vapi Inc., San Francisco | 🗓️ May 29, 2025


WOMEN x AI and Gossip Goblin brought together a powerhouse panel of AI product builders to unpack what it really takes to launch successful AI products—from concept to scale.


The event buzzed with technical insights, honest startup stories, and thoughtful dialogue about AI’s evolving landscape and the women shaping it.

Group of diverse women smiling, gathered at a "Women x AI" event on building AI products. A woman holds a book. Energetic and joyful mood.
Three women seated, engaged in discussion on AI product. One holds a microphone. Projected images and text visible in the background. Casual setting.

Meet the AI Product Leader Panelists:

​Moderator: Daisy Caroline from Google, Wharton MBA, Angel Investor


​Panelists:


Vapi Demos

One of the evening’s highlights was a look at Vapi, the API for real-time voice. Elizabeth showcased how Vapi powers everything from customer support bots to deeply personalized voice experiences—think voice agents that can handle a thousand minutes of conversation per day, equivalent to a full-time support role.



She walked attendees through the technical challenges of latency, reliability, and orchestration—key factors in building seamless voice interfaces. Her demo included tips on choosing the right LLMs, fallback strategies, and latency balancing. Vapi’s mission? Make talking to AI as fast and natural as a real conversation. Their $20K Build Challenge invites builders to create the next great voice AI app—check it out here.


🤖 Meet Gossip Goblin: AI Matchmaking for Events


Gossip Goblin isn’t just a clever name—it’s an AI-powered networking assistant (affectionately nicknamed Gobby, the Chief Goblin Officer) that made its magic felt throughout the event. Before doors even opened, attendees who opted in were matched via personalized email intros based on their professional goals and interests.


Meg, COO of Gossip Goblin, shared the product’s origin story: a hacky MVP launched guerrilla-style at GDC, now transforming how people connect at in-person events. With a user experience that mimics a friend making introductions, Gobby makes networking more natural—and more fun.

The team is gathering feedback from event attendees via text from Gobby—don’t ghost your goblin!


💡 Key Takeaways from the Panel

Three people on stools speak to an engaged crowd in a modern, industrial room about building AI products. A sign reads "Women x AI." Attentive audience listens.

1. Build Around Real User Workflows—Not Just AI Hype


Elizabeth emphasized that great AI products don’t reinvent the user. They meet users where they are. “People still associate AI with ChatGPT,” she noted. Put yourself in the users shoes and build something for where they are that can add value now.

Instead of trying to change behaviors, build experiences that integrate naturally—voice assistants, smart transcriptions, or embedded chatbots.

2. Two Roadmaps: One for Product, One for Users

Anna Naidis (Founder, Aparti.ai) reminded us that product roadmaps and user expectations often diverge. Keeping these two in sync is essential for success.


You can use AI to test hypotheses faster, but know that even brilliant features may flop if users don’t need them.


3. Curiosity, Clarity, and Culture Matter

Talent is key to executing an AI vision. The panel agreed: prioritize curiosity, product vision, and the ability to simplify complex systems. “The best AI products emerge when teams ask the right questions and communicate clearly,” said Naidis.


Catch the whole panel discussion on the WOMEN x AI YouTube Channel:



📣 Highlights


Smiling woman holds "Building AI-Powered Products" book in a modern office with exposed beams and pipes. Other people and chairs in the background.

  • Gossip Goblin Matching: 86% of attendees opted in for AI-powered networking.


  • Metrics That Matter: Gossip Goblin tracks “successful connections” as their key ROI—did users actually meet and find value?


  • Book Giveaway: Jasmeen Bal won a signed copy of Building AI-Powered Products by Dr. Marily Nika.



🔄 Real Talk: Trust, Diversity & Guardrails

The Q&A touched on key challenges:


  • Trust: Build it like a relationship—give users value before asking for input.


  • Diversity: Train on more localized and representative datasets to serve broader audiences.


  • Guardrails: Everyone agreed—hallucination is still real. Invest in filters, logs, and evaluations to keep AI on track.


✨ The Future Is Voice—and Female-Led

With projects like Aparti.ai (using AI to help family law offices with divorce) and Vapi’s voice agents in developer tools, this event proved that women aren’t just joining AI—they’re redefining how it sounds, works, and connects.

“When we can talk to things—and they actually work—we will. And that moment is coming fast.” — Elizabeth Trykin, Vapi

It was great to hear from product leaders at companies of all sizes from pre-seed startups to FAANG. The future is bright and we're excited to see women building AI products that they want to see in the market. Curious to see what AI tools our community is using? Check out the 30+ battle tested tools from our AI Titan's Tools Council.


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