Lenny Distilled

AI and product management

Featuring: Marily Nika (AI Product Leader, Meta)

8 quotes · 6 insights

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AI requires starting with problems, not capabilities

There is something called the shiny object trap, and I'm always telling people, 'Hey, don't do AI for the sake of doing AI.' Make sure there is a problem there. Make sure there is a pain point that needs to be solved in a smart way.
Marily NikaAI Product Leader, Meta 00:00
From a product perspective I can imagine like three bubbles in my head. So you want to find the intersection both something that's desirable by users, something that is going to be a viable business and something that is going to be feasible from a research scientist and technical perspective.
Marily NikaAI Product Leader, Meta 10:47

Your data already contains tomorrow's insights

It's all about changing the mindset of PMs. Taking a step back and just thinking about, okay, I have all this data that's just lying and sitting around what is it that I can do with it?
Marily NikaAI Product Leader, Meta 12:30

Fake it before you automate it

Don't do it for your MVP. It makes zero sense. Do not waste time of data scientists that can train models with using powerful machines that are going take weeks to train.
Marily NikaAI Product Leader, Meta 14:42

AI is reshaping everything - adapt urgently or become obsolete

I believe that all product managers will be AI product managers in the future. And this is because we see all products needing to have a personalized experience, a recommender system that is actually good.
Marily NikaAI Product Leader, Meta 08:39
The generalist PM helps their team and their company build and ship the right product. But the AI PM helps their team or company solve the right problem.
Marily NikaAI Product Leader, Meta 13:19

AI requires hands-on play, not passive observation

If you have an MVP and you just want to get buy-in for an idea or feature that may use AI in the future, fake it, create a little figma prototype and just show it some users, just fake what the AI is going to be doing.
Marily NikaAI Product Leader, Meta 14:42

AI companies reward chaos-to-clarity converters

Usually product managers get ahead the more they launch. But if you're in a research or if you're not going to launch as often, so you need to make sure to clarify with the hiring managers early on, 'Hey, what does progress mean?'
Marily NikaAI Product Leader, Meta 30:22

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