Behind the product: Google’s NotebookLM | Raiza Martin (Senior Product Manager, AI @ Google Labs)

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Raiza Martin is a senior product manager for AI at Google Labs, where she leads the team behind NotebookLM, an AI-powered research tool that includes a delightful podcast-on-demand feature called “Audio Overviews.” NotebookLM started as a 20% project and has grown into a product that’s spreading across social media and has a Discord server with over 60,000 users. Raiza previously worked on AI Test Kitchen and has a background in startups, payments, and ads. In our conversation, we discuss:

• The origin story of NotebookLM

• The future road map for NotebookLM

• How Google Labs operates differently from the rest of Google

• The development of the “Audio Overviews” feature

• Key metrics and growth of NotebookLM

• Stories about collaborating with author Steven Johnson

• Navigating potential misuse of AI technology

Some takeaways:

1. Embrace a startup mentality within large organizations: Google Labs operates with fewer processes and more agility than typical Google teams. This allows them to move faster and iterate quickly, much like a startup.

2. Often, powerful technology is already available; the magic lies in how you interact with it. For instance, by integrating powerful audio models with existing LLMs, NotebookLM created an innovative way for users to interact with content. Look for unique applications of the tools you already have.

3. Don’t wait for a perfect launch. Start with a working version of your product and use user feedback to iterate and improve. This approach can reveal unexpected insights and user preferences, helping you shape the final product.

Where to find Raiza Martin:

• X: https://x.com/raiza_abubakar

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whatsaraiza/

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction to NotebookLM

(05:43) The genesis of NotebookLM

(08:08) Innovative features and use cases

(18:52) Building a startup culture within Google

(24:28) Expanding user demographics

(27:30) The product roadmap

(32:18) Other use cases

(36:11) Collaborating with Steven Johnson

(42:49) Ensuring ethical AI

(46:06) Future directions and user engagement

Referenced:

• NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google/

• AI Test Kitchen: https://aitestkitchen.withgoogle.com/

• Steven Johnson on X: https://x.com/stevenbjohnson

• Gemini Pro: https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/pro/

• Usama Bin Shafqat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ushafqat/

• NotebookLM’s Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/Az2N7BwV7r?sjid=10560123093044576704-NA

• Josh Woodward on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwoodward/

• Andrej Karpathy’s website: https://karpathy.ai/

• Histories of Mysteries on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3K4LRyMCP44kBbiOziwJjb

• NotebookLM — Analyzing Poop & Fart written 1,000 times — Creating meaning from the meaningless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftg7UC3CGjc

• Reddit thread about the fake chicken.pdf: https://www.reddit.com/r/notebooklm/comments/1fwz5eh/the_google_podcast_duo_get_almost_9_minutes_out/

• Steven Johnson’s tweet about his 8K quotes: https://x.com/stevenbjohnson/status/1840844268065456456

• Readwise: https://readwise.io/

• How We Got to Now: https://www.pbs.org/show/how-we-got-now/

• “A.I. Is Mastering Language. Should We Trust What It Says?”: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/magazine/ai-language.html

• AI Podcast Hosts Discover They’re AI, Not Human — NotebookLM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR4dRtzFvxM

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.