AI Researcher
A great leadership oriented video about Structuring a modern AI team
Vertical service providers don't need AI Researchers until they reach scale.
Team Skills
AI teams need skills across domains:
Use case definition and product integration
ROI measurement and data sourcing
Workflow testing and refinement
Interface building for success
Product selling and customer engagement
Success needs multiple roles, not just one researcher. Find what blocks success:
Feature shipping capabilities
User acquisition and retention
Monetization strategies
Scalability and reliability issues
Observability challenges
Budget Reality
Top researchers cost too much
Generalist AI engineers cost less
Domain expertise beats pure research skills
Hire General AI Engineers
Hire generalists and support them with platform, tooling and automation.
Generalists excel early when companies seek product-market fit. They adapt to changes, work across functions, and cost less for most companies.
Hire Domain Experts
Domain experts know your industry. They find the right fit, understand customers, and know your business deeply.
Product-market fit achievement
Customer satisfaction and retention
Technical execution quality
Business outcomes and ROI
Hire AI Researchers
You likely don't need top lab researchers initially.
When to hire researchers: Scale exceeds generalist capabilities. Performance needs specialists. Model development becomes core product.
See Also
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