James Blair
Senior Product Manager
Technology should make us more human, not less. That's the philosophy driving my work as a Senior Product Manager at Posit, where I build AI systems and reporting tools that eliminate tedious tasks so teams can focus on creative breakthroughs. Over a decade in data science and AI, I've led 0-to-1 development of agentic solutions that cut demo prep by 90% and built strategic partnerships with AWS, Azure, GCP, Databricks, and Snowflake that contribute $20M+ in annual revenue. At home with my wife Brittany and our five amazing kids (or out riding all the bikes) I see daily reminders of what really matters: creating space for the work only humans can do.
About Me
I believe the best technology amplifies human creativity rather than replacing it. As a Senior Product Manager at Posit (formerly RStudio), I spend my days working with leading cloud partners like AWS, Databricks, and Snowflake to deliver enterprise product integrations that meet customers where they are. I also build AI systems that handle the routine work so teams can focus on creative problem solving instead of tedious task management. Over 10+ years in this space, I've learned that great product management isn't about the technology, it's about understanding the humans who use it. So while AI is exciting and certainly has my attention, my purpose has never been more clear: to find my own little way to improve what it means to be human.
Work
Throughout my career, I've driven millions in revenue through strategic cloud platform partnerships with AWS, Azure, GCP, Databricks, and Snowflake. I maintain meaningful customer relationships through 200+ annual customer calls and onsite visits to ensure products meet enterprise needs. I've built agentic AI systems that reduced demo preparation time by 90% and enabled us to rapidly deliver targeted content for customers and partners. I'm an accomplished speaker and instructor speaking at an average of 3 conferences a year including keynotes to 2,000+ professionals and leading hands-on, technical workshops.
Home
I live in beautiful Eagle Mountain, Utah with my wife Brittany and our 5 amazing kids: Ellie, Charlie, Fox, Forest, and Oaks. We also have two (tiny) dogs, Poppy and Rosie. Our family enjoys spending time together on long road trips, out by the water (lakes or, if we're lucky, the ocean) and playing games together. One of our favorite family activities is watching American Ninja Warrior together - some of my kids might be future ninjas! We're also big fans of bedtime stories, backyard bbqs, and summer splashpads.
Hobbies
When I'm not working on product strategy or speaking at conferences, you can find me enjoying Utah's majestic scenery from a bicycle. I'm a mediocre road racer (Cat 4) with my main season target being LoToJa, which I've completed 3 times. One of my biggest goals is to finish in under 9.5 hours. My favorite road ride is Arches National Park, and my favorite mountain bike ride is anything around Lake Tahoe. I also run Landform Labs, a small 3D printing business focused on creating geographical features and custom pieces for bike rides, runs, and hikes.
Skills & Expertise
Product & Strategy
- Product Management
- Customer Research
- Product Led Growth
- Go-to-Market Strategy
- Cross-functional Collaboration
Technical Leadership
- Data Science & Analytics
- Python, R & SQL Programming
- Artificial Intelligence & LLMs
- Agentic Systems & RAG
- Open Source Development
Leadership & Communication
- Public Speaking
- Keynote Presentations
- Technical Writing
- Teaching & Mentoring
- Open Source Advocacy
Chat about James
Get in Touch
I'm always interested in meaningful professional connections, speaking opportunities, and interesting collaborations. Whether you're looking for insights on data science, AI implementation, cloud platform partnerships, or agentic systems, I'd love to hear from you! I'm particularly passionate about bridging the gap between technical capabilities and business value.
