What is the role of product managers in the age of AI and the potential impact of AI on roadmapping and expectation management?

Janna Bastow, CEO & Co-Founder ProdPad / Co-Founder of Mind the Product, shares her perspective on how AI is just another tool that can help product managers synthesize feedback and speed up certain aspects of their job.

Why AI should not replace the human element of product management, such as getting alignment from stakeholders and gathering feedback from real users and how we can think about evaluating roadmaps when they all look the same.

Why product managers being skilled in asking the right questions and validating their ideas with real customers is not optional anymore.

Takeaways

• The value of a roadmap lies in the roadmapping process, not just the document itself.
• AI can be used as a sense checker and sidekick to provide feedback and support decision-making, but human judgment is still crucial. Creating a company culture where employees feel comfortable challenging ideas is crucial for innovation and growth.
• Product managers need to understand how their work connects to revenue and develop roadmaps that align with the company's strategy.

Sound Bites

• "The job of a product manager is to get out of the building and understand what users and the market want. Especially with AI being around"
• "Nobody's getting fired for using AI."
• "Product managers who do not understand how their work connects to revenue will be in trouble in the future."

Chapters

00:00 The Role of Product Managers in the Age of AI

09:08 AI as a Tool for Feedback Synthesis and Speeding Up Product Management

23:17 Human Judgment and Decision-Making in Evaluating Roadmaps

25:34 Creating a Culture of Innovation and Openness

26:22 The Role of Product Managers in Driving Growth

27:41 The Impact of AI on Product Management

32:26 The Importance of Asking the Right Questions

35:19 Adapting to the Changing Landscape of Product Management

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