How Yamini Rangan, HubSpot CEO, Approaches AI Uncertainty

In a recent appearance on the Silicon Valley Girl podcast, Yamini Rangan, CEO of HubSpot, discussed the shifting nature of work in tech and the pace of AI adoption.

Yamini says: “As things evolve every decade, new jobs will emerge. You can’t even plan for a job that will be there 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, or even two years from now". 

Building AI fluency at scale

HubSpot’s AI strategy is framed as 'Human-Led, AI-Accelerated'. The company has introduced Breeze, an AI interface that combines a conversational assistant, a suite of AI agents and data enrichment capabilities.

These tools are being used to clean and maintain data, generate content and build new workflows across teams.

At HubSpot's GROW 2025 conference, Yamini outlined targets that put adoption at the heart of execution: a goal of 80% AI usage across teams each week, with half of HubSpot’s content now AI-assisted.

The imperative, she argues, is to move early and with intent. “This is like the internet in the 90s,” Yamini says. “Just because the tech is here doesn’t mean businesses are ready.”

To turn tools into impact, HubSpot is investing in skills. The company positions AI as a growth enabler and has made AI fluency a priority through dedicated AI literacy programmes.

Since adopting this approach, 84% of employees say they feel confident using AI in their day-to-day work.

Those who are comfortable with the technology are 1.3 times more likely to say they understand how to grow their careers at HubSpot, according to an internal company survey.

Hiring for curiosity

When it comes to talent acquisition, Yamini is prioritising candidate behaviours that thrive amid rapid change.

When hiring, she says she looks for: “people who are comfortable experimenting – having a hypothesis, proving the hypothesis is right or wrong versus saying there’s a set path”.

This aligns with trends being observed across industries.

Research from Deloitte suggests organisations that prioritise soft skills such as emotional intelligence, divergent thinking and agility are better prepared for shifting business landscapes.

The recommendation from this report is to create space for safe experimentation with new technologies so teams can learn from failure, build fluency and engage more critically with the tools at hand.

Yamini says: “For AI to be effective, you have to be close to the ground. You have to know what parts of the workflow are broken, what parts of the workforce can actually get value from AI.

“My focus is, Don’t just use AI for the sake of AI, use it to solve real problems for customers. Can you ask the right questions? Can you stay curious enough to uncover what truly matters?”