Product management → Prototype management

Build and sell, or be replaced

"Can I get a referral?" That's how most Product Manager (PM) conversations start these days. Then I ask what they've built using the company's tools. Silence. Incredulous stares. As if building something was an unreasonable ask.

Want to join Figma? Build a plugin that auto-generates component variations. Excited about OpenAI? Create an agent that streamlines specific workflows. Ship it in public, share your process, watch what happens. One PM built a data visualization on a company's API—three companies reached out the next week. The tools are there—Replit and bolt.new make building easier than ever.

Most PMs don't see how rapidly their role is changing. Writing specs becomes building MVPs. Managing timelines becomes rapid iteration. As AI handles the coordination, what matters is talking to customers and learning to sell. The best prototype is worthless if you build without understanding or can't convince others of its value.

Here's where it gets interesting: your prototype becomes your interview. Instead of preparing for hypotheticals, you're discussing real choices you made. Building teaches you more about a company's market in a week than months studying their website. The conversation shifts from theoretical scenarios to actual decisions. You've inverted the interview process—now they're pitching you on how to make your prototype better.

Large companies teach the wrong lessons. Process over agency. Bureaucracy over shipping. Internal presentations over customer conversations. Optics over impact. No wonder startups hesitate to hire big tech PMs. The future belongs to those who create artifacts, not manage processes.

The irony? Those who stop obsessing over getting the perfect job often end up with multiple options. Stop asking for referrals. Start shipping prototypes. The next wave of great PMs won't be discovered through interviews—they'll be found through what they build and sell.