AI impacts on the Product Manager role

What can we expect to see happen to roles like Product Management with all of the AI advancements that are happening? – Looking at our recent past for clues.

I'm no stranger to the impact technology can have on an entire industry. In high school, I worked at a camera store and photo lab. This was at a time when digital point-and-shoot cameras were gaining in popularity, and the general public was moving away from film. I was there while that business shut down, just like so many others in the industry. The landscape had changed, and this small photo lab hadn't adapted quickly enough.

I was also an apprentice photographer at the time, shooting weddings, sports, and other events. When I started, a good DSLR (digital single-lens reflex camera) was $10k, but just a couple of years later in 2004, you could pick up a decent one for $1k. For a young photographer like me, this significantly reduced the costs of getting into the industry. Of course, it didn’t just benefit me, making the market highly competitive. 

Many photographers struggled to stay afloat, but not all of them. Some had more success than ever. It's not hard to know what set them apart from the others. They changed their business models and increased the volume and consistency of their work. It also allowed them to offer new services, like photo slideshows (R.I.P the Ken Burns effect), and print on demand albums.

I know, you didn't come here for a history lesson, so what can we expect to see happen to roles like Product Management with all of the AI advancements that are happening? It may not be obvious right now, but we can draw on past experiences like this and say with some certainty that Product Managers are not going away, just like there are still photographers shooting film.

So, here is my interpretation of where we are and where we’re headed. Based on my own experience, but also what I’m hearing from the many product manager’s I’ve coached, and leaders in this industry I talk with.

• Engineers are taking on more responsibilities:

  Not just engineers, but everyone. AI allows everyone to take on even more work. Companies doing layoffs and expecting more from fewer people is a trend that will continue. It's becoming common for engineering managers or tech leads to take on more Product Management responsibilities.

• Companies are focused on generating revenue: 

  Not so much about the current AI revolution, but more so about the current economic landscape. If you're doing something that an AI can do cheaper, or something that doesn't contribute to the bottom line, your job is at risk.

• Product development cycles are accelerating:

  Isn’t this every product manager’s dream? In theory, AI tools can automate and optimize various stages of the product development process and even help developers code faster. Businesses know this, and will be pushing for more aggressive timelines.

• No-Code and product operations:

  It’s becoming easier than ever to string together tools and automate integrations with Slack and other systems. Things you might have relied on engineering teams or product ops to do before, may now fall to you, the product manager.

That’s well and good, but what can you do to thrive during this time as things are rapidly evolving? Here are a few ideas and strategies you can try.

• Look at this as an opportunity: 

  Your best bet is to double down on what AI can't do—empathy, intuition, resolving conflicts, deciding what to work on next and owning that decision. Building connections within your company, team and industry will also be invaluable.

• Become the guru:

  There is a small window of opportunity here. As I experienced the switch to digital cameras, the photographers who couldn't adapt to the new technology were left behind. The early adopters excelled and were even more successful. Some started educating others on the benefits of digital photography.

• Leverage AI:

  You may already be doing this, but using AI wherever you can to speed up your workflow and increase your bandwidth is critical. Whether that’s getting technical help from an LLM like ChatGPT, generating ideas, validating ideas, re-writing content for various audiences. Increasing your efficiency won’t hurt your chances.

• Data analysis:

  Currently, AI can help you extract your data, run queries, and show results. It’s still on you to interpret those results and communicate them to the rest of the company. I believe it will be a while before AI can excel here, and for now at least, I would become well versed in data analytics to maintain a competitive edge.

None of this means it's going to be easy. Digital photography killed Kodak and many other greats (although, like John Snow, Kodak managed to be resurrected and is still alive today). There will be disruptions, there will be fewer PMs at every company. Those who don't adapt may be pushed out, and many companies will stumble and fall (or even fail) while trying to figure out what role AI plays in their day-to-day operations.