Is AI going to replace you as a Product Manager? How about Product Management as a whole? I will be exploring this question and more over the rest of March and into April.
Here is a short intro video on the topic:
Don’t like videos? Well read on:
Whenever there are big changes in the air (downsizings, new technologies, etc.) every pundit and wannabe pundit offers their “absolutely bulletproof” argument for what they think is going to happen. The current theme is that AI and corporate downsizing will enable the retirement of Product Managers. I have come across headlines like these over the past few weeks (paraphrased):
“Yes, AI will replace Product Managers, and no this is not a prediction, it is a fact!”
“Are Product Managers even needed?” or “Aren’t Product Managers just dispensable?”
Their arguments, on the surface, seem to make some sense. They talk about the overlap between Product Managers and other departments, how it’s possible to consolidate those responsibilities, and automate with AI, or simply stop doing some of the work that PM’s do in a downsizing situation.
What is common about these arguments is that they demonstrate something I wrote about a short time ago. I answered the question “What should my product team do?” which explores all the roles and responsibilities that can be assigned to a product team. These types of arguments show how confused people (and their companies) are about what Product Management is supposed to do, and how varied the roles and responsibilities are within different companies. Change is afoot, and yes there are some Product Management roles that are at risk of going away, and the way most Product Managers do their jobs will evolve over the next few years.
I am launching a 3-part series on this topic starting next week that will culminate with an event in April where several amazing PM’s and Tech Leaders will discuss these topics.
The series will include the following articles:
Foundation — Explains the key roles and responsibilities within Product Management that are often considered “overlapping” with other departments and those ripe for automation.
I, Robot — Explores the things AI can definitely automate and why this will likely be a wonderful thing for Product Management.
The Last Question — Concludes the series with my predictions for what could and should happen, and how you as a PM can prepare yourself for these changes.
If you don’t get the naming convention, Google the titles and have a laugh.
I look forward to sharing all of this with you, and kicking off a great conversation about this throughout the month of March!
Want to learn more? Want to engage directly with me? I offer both group and private training and mentoring sessions that deep dive on all these topics. Ping me or go to jaypross.com to find out more.
Here is a longer form video of this post:
