Cutting through the AI hype ๐คช, Future of product is agents ๐ฎ๐ค, and more
Weekly Roundup 14 ๐
๐ Hey, Sam here! Welcome back to the ๐ย Weekly Roundup editionย ๐ ofย The Product Trench. Each week, I curate deep dives, trends and resources related to product management, startups, and leadership.
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Happy Sunday everyone! ๐
It has been a busy week. Busy with what? Well, prepping for Aakashโs new podcast is no joke. My Episode airs on September 8th, so save the date! Plus, I am doing my first collaboration, so stay tuned for more updates next week.
So, between the above and planning the first camping trip with a toddler, I apologize for the lighter-than-usual roundup.
Anyway, I digressed, so let's just get to it.
This Week's Roundup ๐
Will we lose our jobs to AI? Cutting through the hype.
AI companies are pivoting from creating gods to building products. Good.
Anticipating the unseen.
15 mistakes PMs and PMMs need to avoid for better product launches.
The power of starting small to gain support and traction.
Will we lose our jobs to AI? Cutting through the hype (7 min read)
Paweล argues that AI is not as advanced as big tech claims, and fears of widespread job loss are overblown. While AI can automate some tasks, especially for junior roles, it still lacks the ability to handle complex, human-dependent decisions, making senior positions secure for now. However, real progress in AI is slowing, emphasizing the importance of upskilling and focusing on areas that AI cannot easily replicate.
โก๏ธYour Actionable Takeaway: Leverage AI to enhance productivity but prioritize learning skills that AI struggles with, ensuring your role remains relevant.
AI companies are pivoting from creating gods to building products. Good. (7 min read)
AI companies have realized that generative AI is less ready for widespread commercial use than initially believed. This miscalculation has led to significant challenges, including high costs, reliability issues, privacy concerns, and the need for better safety and user interfaces. As these companies shift their focus from merely creating AI models to protecting and refining them, they must address these obstacles to bridge the gap between AI's potential and its practical, everyday applications. The road to broad AI adoption is now expected to take longer than initially anticipated, potentially unfolding over a decade.
โก๏ธYour Actionable Takeaway:ย Focus on overcoming practical challenges like cost, reliability, and safety in AI development to meet consumer expectations and ensure long-term success.
Anticipating the unseen (4 min read)
Amy Mitchell tackles how AI is quietly reshaping the future of product management through specialized AI agents into teams, handling tasks from design to engineering. This shift allows product managers to focus on complex communications, strategic decisions, and creativity. As AI becomes central, product managers must enhance their leadership, empathy, and communication skills to effectively manage AI-driven workflows and maintain a human touch.
โก๏ธYour Actionable Takeaway:ย Invest in developing leadership, communication, and empathy skills to stay ahead as AI reshapes the product management landscape.
15 mistakes PMs and PMMs need to avoid for better product launches (10 min read)
The article covers 15 crucial mistakes that Product Managers (PMs) and Product Marketing Managers (PMMs) often make, which can undermine product launches.
These include focusing solely on solution validation without validating messaging, misplacing or mispricing features within product tiers, and neglecting to set clear launch metrics.
It also highlights the importance of aligning PMs and PMMs throughout the launch process, adjusting launch intensity based on feature value, and avoiding over-hyping followed by silence.
Other pitfalls include failing to phase rollouts, not preparing support teams adequately, and overlooking localization needs for global products.
โก๏ธYour Actionable Takeaway:ย Validate your product solution and customer messaging. Align PMs and PMMs early, set clear metrics, and adjust your launch efforts based on feature significance.
The power of starting small to gain support and traction (5 min read)
Pilot projects are an effective way to introduce and test complex changes with minimal risk. Unlike proof of concept (POC), they operate in a real-world setting on a smaller scale, providing actionable insights on whether to scale or abandon an initiative. The key to success is starting small, iterating based on feedback, and focusing on delivering value before expanding.
โก๏ธYour Actionable Takeaway:ย Use pilot projects to drive changeโstart small, learn, adapt, and then scale based on proven success.
๐ That's it for this week's edition. Thank you for reading, and enjoy your week.
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See you next time.
โ Sam โ๏ธ
Excellent as usual! Thank you for finding these articles - I missed a few last week!
Thank you for the shoutout ๐