Hi Product people,

This week, I had a fascinating discussion with Oji and Ezinne, co-authors of "Building Rocketships: Product Management for High-Growth Companies." We explored the pivotal role of Product Managers in the AI-driven landscape and how PMs need to evolve alongside technological advancements.

One point that they made really struck me:

"In order to do AI at the core, you have to be clear about what the customer's goal is and disrupt the workflow to get straight to the answer. It’s about fundamentally rethinking how you solve the persistent problems your customers face."

This perspective is crucial as we navigate the tech-driven changes impacting our roles. We also discussed how product managers need to balance short-term pressures with long-term strategies, especially amid AI trends and market uncertainties. Oji highlighted the importance of maintaining urgency without losing sight of strategic investments.

If you’re curious about how to harness AI and adapt your product management practices in this dynamic environment, make sure to listen to the full episode!

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: Apple | Spotify

Looking forward to hearing from you!

See you soon,

Melissa Perri

Founder Product Institute, Board Member, and Teacher

You'll hear us talk about:

28:55 - Balancing Board Pressure and Long-Term Vision

Oji shares advice on managing the pressure from board members while maintaining the focus on long-term strategy and vision, a perennial challenge for product managers.

40:12 - AI at the Core vs. the Edge

Ezinne discusses the difference between companies that integrate AI at their core versus those that only sprinkle AI on top. Learn what it means to truly embed AI in your company's workflow and how to approach it strategically.

49:38 - The Evolving Role of Product Managers

They cover how the role of PMs is changing with AI's capabilities in areas like PRDs and data diagnostics, questioning whether AI will replace product managers or simply change the way they work.

Episode resources:

Other Resources:

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