Fast is everywhere, but focused still wins.

Working in product today is like jumping into a Ferrari with AI in the passenger seat, shouting, “Let’s go!” The tech is great, the path looks free from traffic, and the ability to move fast is easy. It feels like progress.

You may have a vision of where you want to be but without a real route, you’re just burning fuel. While you may end up somewhere interesting, you may also end up somewhere dodgy, all the time just hoping you land somewhere useful.

Strategy is the route. You might take detours, you might hit traffic and need to reroute. But the destination? That’s the reason for the journey and if you’re just driving fast because the tools let you, you’re not leading, you’re just moving… perhaps in circles?

AI Is the Engine. You’re the Driver.

I’m not an AI naysayer though, it is really, really useful. You can visualize faster, test ideas quicker, and polish things that used to take days.

But it still doesn’t know where you’re going. It doesn’t know what not to build. It doesn’t care if you’re solving a real problem or just creating noise.

Speed helps—but only when you’re pointed in the right direction.

So What Does Make a Great PM?

Here’s the truth: it’s not the tools, or the hacks, or the frameworks. It’s not how many features you ship, or how many meetings you run.

Great PMs win on the fundamentals. Every time.

1. They anchor every decision in the why.

They don’t jump straight to building. First, they ask:
What problem are we solving? Why now? Who really cares?
Strategy starts with clarity, not motion.

2. They define the destination, then chart the path.

Before diving into solutions, they set a clear end goal.
Not vague ideas like “more engagement,” but specific, meaningful outcomes tied to user and business value.
Strategy gives the work purpose.

3. They make trade-offs, not to-do lists.

Great PMs don’t just collect feature requests, they filter ruthlessly.
They understand that saying no is what creates focus.
Because when everything is a priority, nothing is.

4. They adapt the route, not the mission.

When things change (they always do), they stay calm.
They know how to adjust tactics without losing sight of the strategy. Detours are fine, the destination stays the same.

5. They bring others into the strategy.

They don’t guard the vision or operate in silos.
They help the team see the bigger picture, so everyone is aligned not just busy.
Because direction is a shared responsibility.

6. They use tools to accelerate decisions, not avoid them.

AI, automation, frameworks—they use them all. But never as a crutch.
They know that speed only works when it’s applied to the right work.
The thinking still has to come first.

It’s not new. It’s not hype. But it’s what actually works. You can go fast. You can use all the AI in the world but if you’re not grounded in the fundamentals, you're just accelerating toward confusion.

TL;DR:
Speed is a multiplier. Strategy is the map. Judgment is the driver.
Don’t confuse motion for progress.