AI, Ethics and Product Management: Mike Nedelko’s Journey from Sailboats to Silicon Valley

In this episode of The Spotlight Series - Don’t Just Survive, Thrive, Nicola Steel chats with Mike Nedelko, a seasoned product executive with over 20 years of experience. 

Mike’s career journey is unique - starting in Germany, where his family built and sold sailboats, to creating a golf event business that funded his university education. After living and working in China, he helped launch a new business unit at Cyberlink before moving on to work with global companies like Microsoft, Google, and IBM.

Mike shares how AI and machine learning are transforming the field of product management, shifting away from traditional development cycles to more iterative, data-driven approaches. He emphasises the need for product managers to understand AI models, data science and emerging trends such as the "agentisation" of AI, where specialised AI agents collaborate to solve complex problems.

We also dive into the ethical challenges AI poses, particularly around intellectual property and the risks of AI-generated content impacting human creativity. Mike offers his insights into balancing AI innovation with preserving human originality, and how product managers can lead AI-driven teams to success.

Whether you’re passionate about AI, product management, or navigating today’s tech landscape, this episode offers a wealth of insights from Mike’s incredible career.