Why Your Old Product Must Die: Aydin Mirzaee on Fellow’s Bold Pivot to AI
We’ve all heard the saying, “If it ain't broke, don’t fix it.” But in the world of rapidly advancing technology and AI-driven innovation, Aydin Mirzaee, CEO and founder of Fellow, argues the exact opposite. According to Aydin, “To truly innovate with AI, your old product has to die. You can’t be sentimental—sometimes you have to disrupt yourself before someone else does.”
In a recent conversation on Between Two COOs, Aydin shared how Fellow, already successful as a meeting productivity tool, made a daring pivot to become a comprehensive AI-powered operations assistant. It wasn’t about tweaking their existing product—it was about fundamentally reimagining what operations could look like when powered by AI.
Embracing the Uncomfortable
Pivoting a thriving product is never easy. But Fellow proactively chose disruption over comfort. Aydin and his team recognized that incremental innovation wasn’t enough—true AI adoption meant embracing discomfort, uncertainty, and significant change.
The result? Fellow transformed into an AI-first company, where traditional meeting notes and follow-ups became automated, human-quality summaries. This freed teams to focus more on strategic thinking and less on tedious administrative tasks.
The Practical Side of AI in Operations
During our conversation, Aydin highlighted several powerful use-cases for Fellow’s AI:
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Automating Routine Tasks: AI now handles follow-ups, meeting summaries, and CRM updates, reducing administrative burdens and minimizing human error.
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Enhanced Decision-Making: Leaders receive actionable insights from meetings automatically, enabling better, faster, data-driven decisions.
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Strategic Alignment: By freeing teams from mundane tasks, organizations can focus more resources on strategic initiatives, creativity, and innovation.
Navigating Security and Compliance
Of course, rapid adoption of AI brings its own set of challenges—particularly around security, privacy, and compliance. Aydin emphasized that robust compliance is fundamental, not optional. Fellow ensures AI is implemented responsibly, with comprehensive redaction capabilities, strict governance controls, and continuous transparency.
Building an AI-First Culture
A significant part of Fellow’s pivot involved shifting internal culture. Teams needed to be comfortable experimenting—and occasionally failing—quickly. Aydin discussed the importance of clear communication and alignment around this AI-first strategy, along with empowering teams through education and practical experimentation.
Advice for Operations Leaders
For operational leaders looking to harness AI effectively, Aydin shared critical insights:
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Embrace Disruption: Proactively disrupt your existing processes and tools before market forces do it for you.
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Prioritize AI Experimentation: Don’t wait for perfect tools—test quickly, learn, and iterate.
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Invest in Change Management: Communicate openly, build internal champions, and address fears head-on.
The Future is Agentic
Looking ahead, Aydin sees a future where AI moves beyond task automation to becoming fully agentic—acting autonomously to drive entire operational workflows. In this future, companies that adapt quickly won’t just survive; they’ll thrive.
To hear more about Fellow’s remarkable transformation and Aydin’s predictions for the future of AI in operations, listen to our full conversation here:
https://www.betweentwocoos.com/the-bold-pivot-from-meetings-to-ai-with-aydin-mirzaee-ceo-of-fellow/
And if you're curious how Fellow’s AI-powered meeting assistant can enhance your operational efficiency, check out their free trial at fellow.app/coo.
How has your company embraced disruption? Have you made difficult decisions about retiring successful products or processes? Let me know in the comments!
