Tavant Associate Director of Product on Transitioning from Product to Platform-Centric Strategies and Leveraging AI for Enhanced User Experience and Trust

How can product leaders navigate the shift from product-centric to platform-centric strategies in financial services? In this podcast hosted by EY Chief Platform Officer within the Financial Services Organization Justin Leibow, Tavant Associate Director of Product Management Sandeep Shivam discusses transitioning from product to platform-centric strategies. They explore the role of user research in product development, the impact of AI on customer expectations, and the importance of building trust in AI systems. Sandeep shares insights on optimizing operational efficiency, the challenges of regulatory compliance, and the significance of creating real value for users. This episode offers practical guidance for product leaders aiming to enhance user experience and leverage AI effectively in their strategies

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Show Notes

1. Product organizations in financial services are increasingly shifting from a product-centric model to a platform-centric strategy, where platforms serve as the foundation that multiple products and services can build upon.
2. A platform approach enables companies to scale capabilities across teams and use cases instead of repeatedly building the same functionality within individual products.
3. In lending and financial services, platform thinking helps unify fragmented user journeys that previously existed across separate systems.
4. Strong user research remains essential even in platform environments because platforms must solve real workflow problems for multiple stakeholders.
5. Successful product leaders continuously validate assumptions with customers to ensure platform capabilities actually support user needs.
6. AI is rapidly reshaping customer expectations, especially around speed, personalization, and automation in financial experiences.
7. Customers increasingly expect digital experiences to be seamless and intelligent, similar to the experiences they receive from leading consumer technology products.
8. Trust remains one of the biggest barriers to widespread AI adoption in financial services.
9. Financial institutions must design AI systems that are transparent and explainable, especially when decisions affect loans, approvals, or financial outcomes.
10. Building trust in AI requires combining strong technology with responsible governance, oversight, and regulatory compliance.
11. AI can dramatically improve operational efficiency by automating manual steps in lending processes.
12. “Touchless” experiences—where users move through a process with minimal human intervention—are becoming a key goal in modern lending platforms.
13. Even when automation is possible, product teams must decide carefully where human oversight still adds value.
14. Regulatory environments in financial services require product leaders to balance innovation with compliance.
15. Platform strategies help organizations respond more quickly to regulatory changes because core compliance capabilities can be updated centrally.
16. Product leaders must think beyond individual features and focus on system-level value creation across the entire ecosystem.
17. AI has the potential to shift not only how products operate, but also who the primary user is, including the rise of AI agents acting on behalf of customers.
18. Designing for a future where both humans and AI agents interact with platforms will require new product design patterns.
19. Product teams should prioritize creating real measurable value for users rather than adding AI features simply because the technology is available.
20. The future of product leadership in financial services will increasingly involve orchestrating platforms, AI capabilities, and trust frameworks to deliver better customer experiences.