Veteran tech investor Keith Rabois says the product manager role in tech 'makes no sense' in the era of AI
· Business Insider
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- Khosla Ventures' MD Keith Rabois said AI is killing the product manager role in tech.
- The former PayPal and Square exec said AI cuts the need for coordination roles.
- Rabois said workers must think like CEOs as AI reshapes how tech teams operate.
Keith Rabois thinks one of tech's most important roles is on borrowed time.
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Speaking on "Lenny's Podcast" on Sunday, the Khosla Ventures managing director — and former PayPal and Square executive — said artificial intelligence is moving so fast that the PM role, or product manager, "makes no sense" in the future.
The reason, he suggested, is that AI tools such as Lovable are moving so fast that coordination-heavy roles and long-term roadmaps are becoming obsolete. Both are key parts of the product manager role, he said.
A slew of AI startups, including Lovable, Cursor, and Replit, have rolled out "vibe coding" tools that let users generate websites and apps with simple prompts — lowering the barrier to building products and reducing the need for large, coordinated teams.
"The capabilities of foundation models or companies like Lovable, things like that, are just so improving at such a rapid rate that it makes no sense to have a yearlong roadmap," Rabois said.
"There are things that were impossible to do in November that are actually pretty easy to do right now in March," he added.
'Intermediaries don't make a lot of sense'
In that environment, the classic project manager function — gathering customer input, aligning teams, and planning long-term roadmaps — starts to look outdated, Rabois said.
"I think intermediaries like conventional PMs don't make a lot of sense," he said.
What replaces it is a different skill set entirely.
"The skill is more like being a CEO now, which is, what are we building and why?" he said.
"That trait is critical to be a successful designer because the tools and the ability to actually create the thing are going to be easier and easier. But the art is knowing what to build," he added.
For companies, that means rethinking how teams are structured. Instead of relying on layers of coordination, the most effective organizations will be those that can quickly spot new opportunities and act on them in real time, he added.
"The future of a very high-growth stellar startup will notice that something's now possible this week and create new features and new value for customers next week."
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