How about the fact that, in the new loop, all documents become machine-computable because natural language processing is moving to the apex of computing's UI/UX stack?
That's the fundamental shift brought about by AI.
For decades, the GUI sat at the apex: humans had to navigate screens, menus, forms, buttons, and application-specific workflows to tell software what to do.
Now, natural language becomes the primary interface. The GUI is demoted to a secondary, purpose-specific visualization and interaction layer that can be generated as needed.
Yes, you still need domain expertise to deliver quality products. But the cognitive space gained through AI shifts human effort away from operating software and toward what actually matters: verification, judgment, and taste.
AI is making product judgment more important, not less. I really agree that the core of product management hasn’t fundamentally changed. As building becomes faster and easier, the harder question becomes: “Should we build this?” Understanding users and solving the right problem may matter more than ever.
But the following statement is too broad and betrays the Coder's Conceit:
"There’s no question that the cost of making stuff has collapsed. "
No, the cost of making stuff in the world of bits has collapsed. The cost of making stuff in the world of atoms and organisms has dropped in many areas, but not nearly as dramatically.
"Product management is about telling the story of people who are going to use the product, and why it will matter in their lives"
Telling stories is the core job of product manager? Really?
At the end of the day, any product is a set of choices - some emphasized, some de-emphasized, now, and in the future. Isn't that at the core the job of a product manager?
This is gold ! I hope more business leaders read this.
With AI loop is faster , but that doesn’t replace customer obsession and story telling. Knowing the eager and the flybys and everything in between , and communicating their needs , wants and representing them in the rooms where they are not present was and will be the core craft. AI just shrunk the time between each step in the loop.
I arrived at a similar conclusion (or, well, one that rhymes with this one, anyway) about the role of the human in this new world order, coming at this from a completely different direction -- not thinking about product management at all, but merely about building things I wanted. Basically, your role is not so much to build but to figure out what to want: https://habitat-chronicles.com/2026/02/adventures-in-llm-land-with-thoughts-on-the-ai-revolution/
Build by Tony Fadell who worked with Steve Jobs to build the iPod, devotes a substantial portion of its text to the importance of storytelling in product building, and how to do it well. Incredible read
This is an excellent article Josh ! Prior to our current startup - I was working with a fintech company on the growth side, their previous agency was co-owned by a "celebrity entrepreneur" and while getting a great cost per signup - wasn't producing any users that added value.
We examined and got to work - we didn't just stop at signup flows, we asked to see the AppsFlyer metrics on actual usage and product use. In here we found that the major gap was the lack of people actually connecting their bank accounts.
We worked with the product team and did two things - added two quick notes on the bank account connection screen + added a social proof statement.
On the growth side we used targeted campaigns more likely to focus on those who were fluent with finance platforms and the combination of 2 to 3 changes allowed us to reduce their Cost per qualified user to 1/8th.
It wasn't about fancy or advanced engineering - it was simply an exercise in understanding the user.
How about the fact that, in the new loop, all documents become machine-computable because natural language processing is moving to the apex of computing's UI/UX stack?
That's the fundamental shift brought about by AI.
For decades, the GUI sat at the apex: humans had to navigate screens, menus, forms, buttons, and application-specific workflows to tell software what to do.
Now, natural language becomes the primary interface. The GUI is demoted to a secondary, purpose-specific visualization and interaction layer that can be generated as needed.
Yes, you still need domain expertise to deliver quality products. But the cognitive space gained through AI shifts human effort away from operating software and toward what actually matters: verification, judgment, and taste.
It will always be about telling stories.
10000% yes
AI is making product judgment more important, not less. I really agree that the core of product management hasn’t fundamentally changed. As building becomes faster and easier, the harder question becomes: “Should we build this?” Understanding users and solving the right problem may matter more than ever.
Nice article.
But the following statement is too broad and betrays the Coder's Conceit:
"There’s no question that the cost of making stuff has collapsed. "
No, the cost of making stuff in the world of bits has collapsed. The cost of making stuff in the world of atoms and organisms has dropped in many areas, but not nearly as dramatically.
The balance needed is between telling stories and asking questions!
I am so with you, because look...
at the evolution of our species!
In a sense, we became homo sapiens we are, because we started to make tools.
Tools -> nearly products!
Tools: getting from point A to point B with a way that does not equal the materials the tools are made of.
Products: get people to the abstract result with a matter that is quite abstract too (code) in 2026.
To make people believe they will get there, we need stories. Don't you think?
"Product management is about telling the story of people who are going to use the product, and why it will matter in their lives"
Telling stories is the core job of product manager? Really?
At the end of the day, any product is a set of choices - some emphasized, some de-emphasized, now, and in the future. Isn't that at the core the job of a product manager?
This is gold ! I hope more business leaders read this.
With AI loop is faster , but that doesn’t replace customer obsession and story telling. Knowing the eager and the flybys and everything in between , and communicating their needs , wants and representing them in the rooms where they are not present was and will be the core craft. AI just shrunk the time between each step in the loop.
I arrived at a similar conclusion (or, well, one that rhymes with this one, anyway) about the role of the human in this new world order, coming at this from a completely different direction -- not thinking about product management at all, but merely about building things I wanted. Basically, your role is not so much to build but to figure out what to want: https://habitat-chronicles.com/2026/02/adventures-in-llm-land-with-thoughts-on-the-ai-revolution/
Build by Tony Fadell who worked with Steve Jobs to build the iPod, devotes a substantial portion of its text to the importance of storytelling in product building, and how to do it well. Incredible read
This is an excellent article Josh ! Prior to our current startup - I was working with a fintech company on the growth side, their previous agency was co-owned by a "celebrity entrepreneur" and while getting a great cost per signup - wasn't producing any users that added value.
We examined and got to work - we didn't just stop at signup flows, we asked to see the AppsFlyer metrics on actual usage and product use. In here we found that the major gap was the lack of people actually connecting their bank accounts.
We worked with the product team and did two things - added two quick notes on the bank account connection screen + added a social proof statement.
On the growth side we used targeted campaigns more likely to focus on those who were fluent with finance platforms and the combination of 2 to 3 changes allowed us to reduce their Cost per qualified user to 1/8th.
It wasn't about fancy or advanced engineering - it was simply an exercise in understanding the user.
Thats true!