Bert Laker

“AI should amplify people — not overshadow them. I build products that are small, fast, and real so teams can feel impact today, and compound it tomorrow.”

This is my philosophy — shaped by years in media & SaaS, inspired by practice, not hype.

I work where Iterative AI (making us faster and more efficient) meets Innovative AI (creating what didn’t exist before). A perspective sharpened by thinkers like Brian Solis (The Mindshift) and Marty Cagan (Inspired), but applied in my own way: building practical products that ship quickly, respect compliance, and scale once (if) they prove value.

About Me - Product Manager & Creator

I’m Bert Laker, a product manager with 20+ years of experience in media, SaaS, and digital platforms. In recent years, AI has empowered me to also step into the role of product creator — designing and testing ideas hands-on with emerging tools. At Talpa Network, I’m the product manager for Audio and lead the AI Digital Workgroup, where we focus on fast-paced experimentation, responsible adoption, and delivering tangible value. Outside of work, I support emerging artists through Label Tempo Libre and I’m currently writing a children’s story titled Het Avontuur van Jermaine en Mirén in Scrollrijk.

Career Cases

From compliance tools to custom GPTs — practical use cases that create measurable value.

AI Initiative Assessment App

A compliance & strategy tool to evaluate AI ideas against the EU AI Act. Built first in Firebase Studio; designed for fast, responsible decisions.

Firebase Studio Google Gemini

WhatsApp Sentiment Analysis (coming soon)

Exploring brand conversation flows with local, privacy-conscious analysis of WhatsApp messages. Surfaces trends and sparks better responses.

Privacy-firstBrand InsightsTrends

Conversation Starter

A use case to re-think how audiences engage with brands in the era of AI-driven search. Reusable prompts turn passive content into two-way Q&A and follow-ups.

EngagementPrototypingAI Workgroup

Text To Speech Application (coming soon)

An application to transcribe recordings in chunks, then summarise them into notes using OpenAI. Using Notebook LLM for creating a Podcast of the summary and "on-the-go" listening.

StreamlitMacBookOpenAITranscriptionNotebook LLM

Custom GPT (coming soon)

Helping individuals tailor and use their own Custom GPTs for daily tasks. From prompting to workflow integration.

Custom GPTPromptingDaily AI

Content Optimizer Pro

An application that analyses and scores existing content (articles etc.) and provides title and meta description suggestions for newly created content. Designed to give immediate, actionable feedback to editors and marketers. Actually it can be used for any content creation.

FirebaseMacBookSEOAEO

Private Cases

Creative explorations outside of corporate walls.

Tempo Libre — Artist & Music Label

Where culture, music and storytelling meet. Artist development and creative exploration outside corporate walls. Read more →

Artist DevAI & MusicSpotify

Book — Het Avontuur van Elai en Noë in Scrollrijk

A children’s book about balance with screens, imagination and agency. Available on Amazon KDP and Apple Books. Coming Soon | Publish date: 01/10/2025. Read more →

Children’s Book Imagination Agency

Frameworks I ❤️ To Work With

BXT Framework — balancing Business, eXperience, and Technology.

SCRUM Framework — iterative delivery, empowering teams.

Evidence-Based Management — measuring outcomes and adjusting for value.

“AI should never replace imagination — it should accelerate it.”

What Else?

I bring extensive experience in designing and developing customer journeys across web and mobile apps.

Experience at a Glance

20+ years across media (radio/audio/video) & product creation.
Lead the AI Digital Workgroup at Talpa Network…

See my full experience on LinkedIn →

LET’S START A CONVERSATION

AI isn’t only for cleaning up messy, repetitive work — it’s also a chance to re-imagine the way we work, create, and connect.

whatif.ai@bertlaker.nl · LinkedIn