In this exclusive interview episode, Scott White—Head of Product for Claude at Anthropic—takes us behind the scenes of the development of Claude 3.7 Sonnet, the company's first hybrid reasoning AI model. Scott explains how this model blends “fast” instant responses with “slow” step-by-step thinking, making it exceptional at coding, writing, and even creating visual prototypes like mermaid diagrams. He shares insights on training the model through real-world use cases, tight customer feedback loops, and collaboration with AI researchers. The conversation also explores how product managers can build better AI products using detailed evals, the collapse of traditional talent stacks, and Anthropic’s principles that focus on practical problem solving and AI safety. As Scott envisions Claude evolving from a capable assistant to a true collaborator that helps users offload meaningful tasks, he encourages aspiring builders to get hands-on and shape the future of AI.

Key Points:

• Hybrid Reasoning Model: Claude 3.7 Sonnet is designed to provide both immediate responses and thoughtful, step-by-step solutions, a balance reminiscent of human "fast and slow" thinking.
• Real-world Applications: The model excels at code generation and designing prototypes, which creates a virtuous cycle by enabling better product development and faster iterations.
• Product Development Insights: Scott outlines the process of building AI products—from writing PRDs and creating evals based on real customer feedback, to developing prototype visualizations for user flows.
• Collaboration with AI Research: Emphasizing a four-legged approach to product development, Scott describes how constant feedback loops with research teams enhance both product and model performance.
• Product Manager Skills: The episode highlights the rising importance of evals in AI product development and how PMs can bridge the gap between engineering, design, research, and customer needs.
• Anthropic’s Culture and Hiring: Scott discusses Anthropic’s values such as mission-driven work, collaboration, and relentlessness, and offers advice for those aspiring to join the team.
• Future Vision for Claude: Scott envisions a shift from a static assistant to a dynamic collaborator, one that can delegate complex tasks and integrate more fluidly into users’ workflows. He encapsulates the spirit of innovation by noting, "It's the confluence of many capabilities, both model and product, all moving in that direction."
• Sponsor Mention: The episode is supported by Vanta, a recommended service used by companies like Atlassian and Quora to manage risk and prove security in real-time.

Enjoy this deep dive into one of the industry’s most advanced AI models and get inspired to start building something innovative of your own!
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