PMs Harness Tools Not Answers

Zevi Arnovitz believes that product managers should embrace AI as a collaborative partner rather than viewing it as a threat that replaces thinking or diminishes skills. His approach centers on using AI to enhance productivity while maintaining ownership of outcomes.

For Zevi, the misconception many PMs have is that their job requires always having the right answers and being the smartest person in the room. Instead, he sees the PM role as "harnessing anything that can get us as quick as possible to delivering the right solution to users." This perspective shifts the focus from individual brilliance to effective facilitation and problem-solving.

When colleagues suggested he was "outsourcing his thinking" by using AI tools, Zevi strongly disagreed. He observes that people who make this criticism often correlate with those who "don't like to show their presentation when it's only 10% done or don't want to ask for help." This reveals his belief that seeking assistance—whether from humans or AI—is a strength, not a weakness.

Zevi approaches AI as "that really smart person that has context or your mentor...but is just always available and doesn't judge you and can really help you." He emphasizes that the key distinction is in how you use these tools: "If you're using it to just create your outputs and then putting them out there...that's AI slop, but it's also human error." The responsibility remains with the human: "If you put anything out there or show something in a product review and you say 'oh sorry that was built by AI,' that's your mistake."

For product teams, this means embracing AI as a learning accelerator rather than fearing skill atrophy. Zevi notes that AI allows junior PMs to "play at such a higher level than you would normally," getting valuable repetitions that accelerate growth. The practical implication is that teams should focus on setting AI up for success by providing proper context and guidance, just as they would for a human collaborator.

His approach suggests that the most successful product people will be those who view AI as an extension of their capabilities rather than a replacement—using it to enhance thinking, accelerate learning, and deliver better solutions while maintaining accountability for the final output.