AI is turning all of us into passable designers, average developers, and decent writers. But not experts. And if we’re not careful, we’ll start mistaking volume for value, and output for outcomes. “I can, therefore I will” is a thought process that destroys companies.

When organizations flatten hierarchies and outsource key decision-making to AI, they create PMs who look like they know what they’re doing but lack the deep, nuanced understanding required for long-term success. AI-driven tools promise to exacerbate this further by making execution easier, reinforcing a cycle where PMs remain stuck in the mechanics of the role rather than engaging in deeper strategic thinking.

The key difference is that teaching scales, while doing does not. If your approach to leadership is just an extension of your approach to product management, if you are still in the details and still making sure every major decision is right, you are not actually leading. You are just a really senior PM.

The impulse to move fast is powerful. Tech culture celebrates speed, iteration, and rapid execution. But there’s a difference between moving fast and moving with purpose. The best products aren’t the ones that accumulate the most features. They’re the ones that stay focused, intuitive, and built with intention. So the next time you’re faced with a new request, ask yourself: Are we moving fast and breaking things? Or are we taking the time to ensure we’re building the right thing?

In product management, prioritization isn't just a best practice, it’s a necessity. With limited engineering resources, tight timelines, and fierce competition, deciding what to build next is a high-stakes game. Every hour spent on one feature is an hour not spent on another, and the opportunity cost of building the wrong thing can be crippling. It’s not just about delivering features; it’s about making the bold, strategic moves that will shape your product’s future and determine your company’s success. Prioritization helps you navigate these constraints by focusing on the features that deliver the most value, ensuring that every decision drives impact, aligns with business goals, and keeps you ahead of the competition.

Start by anchoring your roadmap in a clear product vision. Define the long-term impact your product aims to achieve. Without this north star, the roadmap can become just another list that lacks cohesion. The vision acts as a filter for evaluating any feature or initiative's relevance.

Your product vision should articulate the journey you're inviting users to undertake, where they, the heroes of your story, overcome challenges with your product's help. This story anchors everything else.

The problem with unchecked and unintentional complexity is that it gradually narrows the 'solution space' — the range of future improvements, adjustments, or innovations that can be realistically pursued. Picture the solution space as a playground where designers and developers have room to explore new ideas and tackle emerging challenges. As complexity accumulates without careful management, walls begin to form in this playground, limiting the freedom to experiment and improve. Changes become riskier, and small tweaks can lead to a cascade of unintended consequences. The more convoluted the system, the fewer opportunities there are to introduce meaningful, impactful updates without further complicating the product or alienating users.

In my path to product management, I've been shaped by both luck and a diverse background in computer science, economics, and data analysis. Flexibility has been key as I’ve navigated various industries, from e-Commerce to FinTech to InsurTech. In highly regulated sectors, the challenge lies in balancing innovation with compliance, anticipating regulatory changes, and managing risks. I’ve learned that well-rounded skills and strong collaboration are essential to managing complexity and adapting effectively, especially when working within strict regulations while still driving meaningful product development.

Are LLMs coming for your job as a Product Manager? Not so fast. While tools like ChatGPT are powerful, they still fall short of replacing the creative and logical reasoning that PMs bring to the table. In this post I explore four critical blockers that will keep PMs indispensable in the evolving tech landscape.

How many of us have joined a new company and proposed a promising solution to a problem only to have it rejected with “we tried that n years ago and it didn’t work”? Or conversely, had a new executive join your company and repeat “here’s how we did things at my last company” ad nauseum? (I may or may not have been guilty of the latter in the past.) These are telltale signs of a surface level understanding. As Product Managers, and particularly as executives, we must be able to evaluate and convey the validity of ideas from first principles if we hope to maintain success across companies and over time.

As product leaders, we are in a unique market that has shifted drastically in the past two years leading to a difficult job market for product leaders. We've gathered product leaders who have successfully navigated this tough market recently to share their practical insights. Join your fellow senior product leaders as our newly appointed Chief Product Officers and Vice Presidents of Product share their journey through job searching, negotiating offers, and settling into their new roles. Gain practical insights and strategies to excel in the competitive 2024 PM job market.

Explore the importance of "little work" in product management. Learn how routine tasks, often overlooked, lay the foundation for launching impactful products. Understand why mastering these basics can transform your approach and lead to long-term success. Discover how investing in curiosity and diligence makes "Big Work" attainable and compelling.

In "Articulating Design Decisions," Tom Greever emphasizes the often-overlooked need for product designers to have empathy towards stakeholders. Discover why understanding the deeper emotions and motivations of stakeholders is similarly crucial for Product Managers. Learn how building authentic, empathetic relationships with stakeholders can lead to superior product development and a more cohesive work environment.