PM Series · Episode 01

Prototype is easy. Production learning is the real work.

Communication prototypes are useful, but the value unlock comes when a builder pushes a feature to dogfood, gets reviewed by leadership, and launches an experiment with real users and real data.

The execution loop

1) Define a challenge Pick a painful user task with clear success criteria.
2) Build a feelable prototype Convert ideas into something users can experience, not just read.
3) Push to dogfood fast Internal usage catches workflow failures early.
4) Leadership review passes Use real behavior and metrics, not abstract slides.
5) Generate docs from reality Create PRD/spec from working code and observed behavior.
6) Launch experiment Instrument outcomes and iterate on observed frictions.

Two PM visions to choose from

Aggressive path
  • PM drives end-to-end build to production.
  • AI handles implementation acceleration.
  • PM owns outcome metrics directly.
Stepping-stone path
  • PM starts with prototype plus real usage data.
  • Reviews with leadership happen early and often.
  • Specs/docs are generated from code and user behavior.

What to track

Practical prompt discipline

Don’t start by writing the perfect prompt manually. Start with rough intent, ask AI to draft the spec, review it, then execute. Better loop: rough sketch → AI spec → review → build → measure.