Strategy for operators

Turning AI into EBITDA,
not experiments.

I help companies fix and deliver AI initiatives that actually work, bridging the gap between model potential and bottom-line reality.

Book a free call Get the newsletter

20+ yrs

Product & AI leadership

PayPal · eBay

Fintech & global SaaS

>$20B

Volume scaled (fintech case)

EBITDA

Not experiments

The framework

The K-Compass

Most AI initiatives don't fail on technology. They fail on alignment. A five-point diagnostic that shows product and AI leaders exactly where an initiative breaks down, before it reaches production.

Purpose — automate for efficiency, or augment human judgment?

People — who stays in the loop, and who owns the outcome?

Process — AI handles the routine; humans handle the exceptions.

Governance — risk and compliance built in from day one.

Customer (centre) — does the customer feel empowered, not replaced?

The K-Compass: Purpose, People, Process, Governance around the Customer at the centre

Score each point 1 to 5 across your teams. Where the scores diverge, you've found the bottleneck.

Read the deep dive Get the newsletter →

Work with me

Workshops

AI & Product Execution Diagnostic

Problem: AI and product initiatives stall or fail across discovery, validation, and decision-making.

Duration: 2–3 weeks

Structured pre-work, No-Blame decision reviews, focused synthesis
Identifies where and why initiatives get stuck
Delivers a shared decision log, governance by design, and an execution roadmap

Product Experimentation

Problem: Teams run experiments, but decisions still come down to opinion, not evidence.

Duration: 1 day

Retention and engagement as experiment-driven outcomes
From opinion to evidence: hypotheses, guardrails, decision criteria
Turns experimentation from a tool into an operating system

Training

Choose a single topic or build a multi-topic pathway tailored to your team.

rocket_launch

Product Strategy & Delivery

explore

Product Discovery & Validation

groups

Leadership & Decision-Making

trending_up

GTM Strategy & Growth Systems

smart_toy

AI Foundations & Product Integration

analytics

Data & Metrics

auto_awesome

Generative & Agentic AI in Practice

Book a free call →

Execution advisory in practice

Case studies

E-commerce

Product Recovery & No-Blame Review

Reviewed the entire product lifecycle to uncover blockers, reset priorities, and relaunch.

Full no-blame review across lifecycle stages
Analyzed decisions, delivery patterns, process failures
Facilitated workshops to rebuild alignment
Created a validated relaunch roadmap

+40% engagement · reduced delivery waste

Fintech

AI-Enhanced Onboarding & Risk

Scaled credit onboarding across regions, reducing fraud while increasing adoption.

AI-driven onboarding and risk models
Multi-market rollout across EMEA and APAC
Coordinated with regulators and partners
Balanced compliance, growth, approval rates

>$20B volume · −30% fraud

AI Product Transformation

Redesigned an AI-driven platform, aligning cross-functional teams with structured validation.

AI product strategy & roadmap on K-Compass pillars
Structured validation cycles and experimentation
Aligned product, ML, design, engineering
Integrated compliance across markets

+25% accuracy · +34% retention

Free guide

AI Pilot Purgatory Guide

What you'll find:

How to recognize if you're stuck in AI Pilot Purgatory
Why it really happens (it's not a technical problem)
The K-Compass framework
A 6–8 week operational playbook
A final production-readiness checklist

Who it's for:

CPOs · Product & AI Leaders · Innovation & Transformation Teams running multiple POCs with no real business value.

Download the free guide

Where do you stand today?

A short readiness check to reflect on whether and where this pattern shows up in your organization. Not a benchmark or a maturity model. There are no right answers, only patterns worth discussing.

Take the readiness check

Insights

Articles

Making AI & Product Strategy Executable: The K-Compass Framework Feature Factory and Product-centric Organization: both are good as long as they are not mixed Why Ambitious Strategies Fail: The Real Cost of Poor Execution Interpreting Data: Going beyond the surface Triple Track Agile: Embedding Data in Product Discovery and Development Managing uncertainty in ROI calculations for AI Products The promises of Test-Time Compute: enhancing AI systems with real-time validation Customer Discovery: common mistakes, 4 simple tips Exiting AI Pilot Purgatory

Philosophy

Kintsugi

Kintsugi teaches us to highlight cracks instead of hiding them. In business, failures become opportunities for learning, innovation, and resilience.

Fuel innovation

Mistakes reveal what needs improvement.

Create value

Imperfections inspire differentiation.

Build resilience

Progress comes through perseverance.

About

About me

With 20+ years across PayPal, eBay, fintech scale-ups, and global SaaS, I help companies create clarity, accelerate growth, and adopt AI with measurable impact.

I work at the intersection of consulting, training, and organizational enablement, supporting teams and leaders in building scalable strategies and effective operating models.

My approach blends vision, execution, and continuous learning across corporate and startup environments worldwide.

My mission is to help organizations turn AI and product strategy into real execution, enabling clear decisions, responsible governance, and measurable outcomes.

Define your future

Let's define your
next chapter.

info@katiacassano.com Follow me on LinkedIn

Turning AI into EBITDA,not experiments.