Coworking with Raj De Datta

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Raj De Datta is co-founder and CEO of Bloomreach, which customizes the ecommerce experience using AI.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I lead a company that helps brands make online shopping feel less like searching through a warehouse and more like walking into your favorite neighborhood store where the associate already knows your tastes. My job is to bring together data, AI, and design so that every customer gets a uniquely relevant experience—the right product, at the right moment, in the right context. Practically, that means I spend my time setting vision, working closely with customers and our product teams, and making sure we’re always pushing the boundaries of what digital commerce can do.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? You might assume my job is mostly about strategy decks and board meetings, but a surprising amount of my time is spent listening—really listening—to retailers, merchandisers, and marketers. I still join customer calls where we’re deep in the weeds about search terms, conversion paths, or why a particular journey broke down. Those conversations, and even late-night Slack threads with our teams about specific customer problems, shape our roadmap more than any formal plan ever could.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? The work I’m most proud of is how we’ve evolved Bloomreach from a search and personalization product into a broader vision of AI-driven, agentic commerce, where the experience actively works on behalf of the shopper, not the other way around. Seeing customers move from static websites to experiences that can understand intent, anticipate needs, and orchestrate journeys across channels has been incredibly rewarding. It’s not a single project so much as a multi-year transformation, but watching our customers’ metrics—and their customers’ delight—improve as we’ve brought that vision to life has been a career highlight.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? I’m most excited about the shift from transactional commerce to agentic, intent-driven commerce. For years, retailers focused on optimizing pages and funnels; now we’re entering an era where AI-powered “agents” can understand a shopper’s goal—“I’m planning a hiking trip in the Rockies in October”—and then do the work: curate the right products, content, and offers across channels. This flips the model: Instead of the customer working hard to navigate the site, the experience works hard for the customer. For retailers, this isn’t just a nicer UX—it’s a new way to build loyalty, differentiate the brand, and unlock growth in a very competitive environment. That convergence of AI, personalization, and real customer-centricity is where the future of retail is being written, and that’s the space we’re committed to leading.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Cortado.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “Get a real job first before starting a business or becoming an entrepreneur.”

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? At 15, my favorite retail product was likely a book, as I was a voracious reader. Today, my preferences have shifted away from physical products and more toward experiences. I now place greater value on activities such as attending live sporting events, concerts, and traveling, particularly trips with my children and family.