• 10 skills I’m betting on to future-proof my career

• Vibe coding is the new way to stand out in tech job applications

• What to prioritize in school & early career to build a future-proof career

• Figma Women’s History Month panel: “Designing your career”

• Stop reading about AI. Start wrestling with it.

• How to turn your nontraditional experiences into a story that sells you

Subscribe now

I’m a product manager, and I spend about 20 hours per week in Lovable for work.

Lovable has become my default solo thinking environment and collaboration surface:

• When I'm working through a new product direction, I reach for Lovable like I reach for my notes app: to jot down ideas and visualize how these ideas fit together before I try to explain them to anyone else.

• When I’m getting feedback from teammates or users, I use Lovable to prototype their ideas on the spot. I set up my prototype in a specific way to incorporate feedback quickly and compare different ideas. Because the more ideas we visualize and discuss, the more confident everyone feels about the direction we land on.

Lovable really shines when prototyping complex flows for multi-sided marketplaces, where you need to visualize how user A’s actions impact users B and C. It also shines for flows that need a lot of realistic content to feel real, like a shopping product where you need realistic images, ratings, product descriptions, and more.

Fun fact: I use Lovable so much that I keep running out of credits! So when I heard Elena Verna (Lovable’s Head of Growth) say that “giving away product is a growth strategy that beats paid ads” and “we’re handing out Lovable credits like candy to teams who want to experiment,” I put that to the test.

I posted this on Instagram: “when you vibe code so many prototypes at work that you keep running out of credits. Lovable, wanna help me out?”

Lovable team: “Send us your email connected to your Lovable account and we’ll hook you up!”

👇Here’s how you can get the most out of Lovable at every step of your product development process.

This post is adapted from workshops/talks I gave for Berkeley’s Claude Builder Club and Women in AI. If you want to bring this talk to your organization, please email me at hi@sophiapm.com and let’s make it happen :)

Difference between vibe-coded prototypes and traditional design prototypes

With traditional design prototypes, you must anticipate every possible click path and manually connect every button, screen, and state. If a user clicks something you didn’t wire up, the prototype breaks, and you can’t capture the user’s feedback on that part of the flow.

Vibe-coded prototypes handle this automatically. They fill in the gaps — default states, transitions, and screens you didn't explicitly define — so the prototype behaves like a real product from the start.

How vibe coding helps you build better products, faster

1. Design for the whole system and understand the second-order effects of every design decision

Especially for complex multi-sided marketplace products, the hardest design challenges aren’t visible until you see all sides at once. In the example below, I set up side-by-side views for a buyer, restaurant, and delivery driver. When the restaurant taps “confirm,” I can immediately see what shows up for the buyer and driver.

Other examples include: doctor vs patient vs caretaker, teacher vs student vs parent.

2. Explore widely before committing

One of the most valuable things you can do early in the product development process is to explore a wide range of directions. But doing this with high-fidelity designs is hard, because each option takes too long to produce.

With Lovable, I ask it to build three versions of the same flow. The contrast sparks discussions that lead to better results.

3. Get the right level of feedback from stakeholders

It’s counterintuitive, but early in the product development process — when I’m still working out the flow and information architecture — I deliberately don’t use my design system. I’ve found that the fidelity of your prototype shapes the feedback you get, and people naturally respond to what's in front of them. So when a prototype looks finished, people treat it as finished, and the conversation skips over to visual polish instead of whether the flow actually makes sense.

Lovable prototypes sit at a different level. They’re polished enough to be credible, and abstract enough that the room stays focused on the questions that matter most at this stage.

4. Force decisions that documents let you avoid

A document lets you hide vague thinking. You can write “the user selects their preferences,” and everyone nods and moves on.

In contrast, a prototype doesn’t let you skip the details. You have to decide where every button goes and what happens next, which pushes the team to flesh out the details and helps you avoid churn later.

5. Make ideas concrete and make decisions faster

When you put a prototype on the screen, people have something specific to point at. They can say “not that, more like this” or “take this part of version A and combine it with that part of version B.”

Share

7 tips to prototype more effectively, especially during meetings

Before the meeting

A little prep before the meeting makes a big difference.

1. Set up prototype states for different user types. I’ll use a prompt like this: “Create a prototype settings page with these states: unauthenticated user, first-time authenticated user, returning user.” When I make a change, I check how it looks across all three states.

2. Create a new prototype version in the settings page before the meeting. That way I can flip between iterations mid-conversation, or pull up two versions side by side to compare them.

During the meeting

Iteration speed is critical. If every change takes three minutes, you'll get through five ideas when you could have gotten through ten. A couple tips:

3. Annotate screenshots. When I iterate on an idea, I don’t write a long prompt. Instead, I screenshot the current state, circle UI I want to keep, cross out what I want to remove, rewrite copy directly on the image, and draw arrows showing where something should move. Then, I drop it into Lovable with a prompt like “make these changes.” The annotation does the communicating.

4. Share the prototype link with teammates, so they can explore ideas on a separate branch.

5. 1 reference video is more effective than multiple screenshots. To incorporate competitor flows or a teammate’s prototype, I skip screenshots. (It takes too long to take screenshots, rename them for clarity, and double check that you’ve uploaded them in the right order.) Instead, I record a short video (with audio, if needed), then ask Lovable to pull the key frames in order and rebuild them.

6. Use Lovable’s built-in “Visual edits” tool. For small changes (e.g., copy, color, alignment, individual components), I go into Visual edits mode, click the element, and change it directly.

   

At the end of the meeting

7. Convert prototype logic into your product spec. Prompt: “Turn this prototype into a product spec. Document every screen, state, user action, and edge case. Where the prototype is ambiguous, flag it as an open question rather than making an assumption.”

Subscribe now

If you want me to bring this workshop to your organization, please email me at hi@sophiapm.com and let’s make it happen :)

If you enjoyed this piece, check out:

• Vibe coding is the new way to practice product thinking and stand out in job applications

• What to prioritize in school & early career to build a future-proof career

• 10 skills I’m betting on to future-proof my career

• Vibe coding is the new way to stand out in tech job applications

• FigBuild Women’s History Month panel: “Designing your career”

• Stop reading about AI. Start wrestling with it.

• How to turn your nontraditional experiences into a story that sells you

Share

The problem

Jobs are changing faster than ever, so there’s a growing demand for high-quality professional development content. Traditional corporate L&D is expensive and ineffective: conferences cost $1,000+ for three days, LinkedIn Learning courses only have ~10% completion rates.

In contrast, Substack newsletters subscriptions cost only ~$150/year with 50%+ open rates.

The idea:

Substack, with its reputation for high-signal writing from experienced operators, can become the professional development infrastructure for the AI economy by enabling companies to provide newsletter subscriptions as a learning benefit.

For example, Lenny’s Newsletter for PMs, The Pragmatic Engineer for engineers, Wes Kao’s newsletter for operators.

Why now

Jobs are changing faster than ever, but corporate L&D hasn’t caught up.

And in the age of AI-generated content flooding the internet, Substack’s moats — writer brand and quality curation — matter more than ever.

The idea

How it works:

1. Writers opt in to offer their newsletters at a corporate rate

2. Companies choose which newsletters to make available to employees

3. Employees sign up for Substack using their work email and access paid content for free

Strategic value for Substack

More stable revenue: Enterprise contracts are more predictable than individual subscriptions. While consumers churn based on monthly budgets, corporate subscriptions renew annually with HR departments. Substack’s 10% take rate on higher-retention subscriptions means more reliable platform income.

Retain top writers by providing data they can’t get elsewhere: When readers subscribe using verified work emails, writers gain company demographic data that transforms their sponsorship economics, increasing CPMs from $40 to $120. This makes Substack irreplaceable for writers who monetize through sponsorships and addresses the Beehiiv pricing arbitrage problem (Beehiiv charges flat fees; Substack’s percentage cut hurts high earners—but corporate data makes the 10% worth it).

Before: “I have 5,000 subscribers”
→ CPM: $40

After: “5,000 subscribers including 500 at Google, 800 at Meta, 950 at Microsoft. 70% corporate open rate.”
→ CPM: ~$120

Distribution strategy

The growth strategy leverages Substack’s existing ability to insert dynamic CTAs into email blocks:

For readers using personal emails, Substack inserts: “Want paid content free? Check if your company already provides access.” Users enter their work email; if their company offers the newsletter as a benefit, users verify their work email for instant access. If not, they see: “80 colleagues at [company] requested this—add your vote to reach HR.”

For readers already using work emails, the CTA becomes: “Your company provides free access to this newsletter. [Claim paid access →]” or “Help bring this to [Company]—80 colleagues already requested it. [Add your vote →]”

At 100 employee nominations, Substack contacts the company with proof of organic demand, turning employee advocacy into an enterprise sales channel.

How this differs from Substack’s existing group subscriptions

1. Platform-driven growth vs. manual sales: Group subscriptions require each writer to pitch companies individually. The corporate subscription program builds distribution directly into the product: nomination CTAs embedded in every email and automated HR outreach when 100 employees request access. Every newsletter article sent becomes a sales channel, turning Substack’s billions of annual email impressions into enterprise lead generation without writers doing any sales work.

2. Bundled marketplace vs. one-off deals: Group subscriptions have no central directory. Companies can't discover which writers offer group pricing, forcing them to hunt down creators one-by-one and negotiate separately for each newsletter. Corporate subscriptions provide a single dashboard showing all participating writers organized by category (sales, engineering, marketing, design), letting companies build a curated learning benefit from dozens of newsletters in one purchase instead of managing separate vendor relationships.

3. Employee self-discovery vs. pre-enrollment: Group subscriptions require companies to collect and upload employee work emails upfront, which could be a logistical barrier for HR teams. Substack corporate subscriptions let employees discover and claim access themselves, removing friction for both companies and employees.

• talk @ Berkeley: how to build a future-proof career and make the most of college

• talk @ Figma: celebrating craft in the age of AI

• 5 habits that got you into Harvard, but hold you back at work

• 7 skills I’m betting on to future-proof my career

Subscribe now

This week, I got to speak on a panel with some amazing women in design and product:

• Julia Ysabela Fernandez, Senior Product Designer at Meta (LinkedIn, Instagram)

• Elizabeth Lin, Founder of Design is a Party (LinkedIn, Instagram)

• Angela Chu, Founder of achu design (LinkedIn, Instagram)

Our 300 attendees brought so much enthusiasm and hype to the chat. They asked thoughtful questions, reflected our thoughts back to us, and cheered each other on. Thank you for making this panel so special. And thank you to the lovely Joanna Chen for hosting!

We talked about making your work visible, negotiating with confidence, and the small habits that actually compound. Here’s what I shared.

1. How I landed my first opportunity in tech

2. On imposter syndrome, and the unique value that early career folks can bring

3. On visibility, self-advocacy, creating win-wins, and shaping your career narrative

4. On negotiating your first offer, and how to get out of your own way

5. The habit that has compounded the most throughout my career

Part 1. How I landed my first opportunity in tech

How did you land your first real opportunity in tech? What do you think helped you stand out?

My first opportunity in tech was my product management internship at Microsoft during the summer before my senior year…and I almost didn’t apply! (All my peers had software engineering internships since freshman year. I only had research internships. I felt so behind that I couldn’t bring myself to Google “product management internship.”)

What got me in the door was a side project I built for my mom. She loves pop songs and wants to play them on the piano and sing along. But most popular music is written in guitar tabs, not sheet music. So I built a tool that translates guitar tabs into sheet music.

My interviewers commented on two things: my passion for the problem, and how I brought my music theory background to build something only I could have built.

The tech industry has changed a lot since then, but one thing has become even more true: proof of work beats credentials. It’s more important than ever to have at least one project you can point to that represents your product thinking — something you can pull up in a coffee chat, at a career fair, or in an interview.

The good news is that it’s easier than ever to build something, even with no technical background. Tools like Figma Make, Claude Code, Lovable, and Replit make it possible to go from idea to working prototype in minutes to hours.

Here’s a guide on how to use vibe coding to practice product thinking and showcase product thinking during networking events and interviews.

Here are more examples of hobbies and side quests that become career accelerators.

Share

Part 2. On imposter syndrome, and the unique value that early career folks can bring

Was there a time in your career when you struggled with imposter syndrome? What helped you move from self-doubt to confidence?

In my first product manager job, I was 22 years old, and every engineer I worked with had a PhD. I had no idea what value I could provide to the team.

What I wish I knew then: junior people have a unique advantage right now, because AI is moving faster than ever before.

While everyone else is skimming headlines about new models and product launches, you have the time to actually dig in and form a POV.

You can stress-test tools, build intuition for what they’re actually good at, and bring that synthesis back to your team in a way that’s actionable.

Ask yourself:

• Which tools are best? What makes them particularly delightful and effective?

• Should we be inspired by what competitors are doing, or double down on what makes us different?

• How can I teach my teammates how to use these tools?

This is one of the best ways to provide value to your team, and all it requires is curiosity and follow-through. Try it and let me know how it goes!

Share

Part 3. On visibility, self-advocacy, creating win-wins, and shaping your career narrative

Many women are taught to let their work “speak for itself.” When did you realize that visibility and advocacy were just as important as the work itself?

Growing up, I was taught to focus on doing good work and trust that it would eventually be recognized. I believed that promoting myself was self-centered and counterproductive.

I held onto that belief until I became an intern manager and saw the other side.

What I realized was that visibility isn’t vanity — visibility creates win-wins. Because when you proactively communicate what you’ve completed and the impact of your work, you make your manager’s life easier.

Here’s why: one of your manager’s core responsibilities is ensuring that projects are completed on time, are high quality, and make real impact. When you proactively give clear updates, you de-risk their reputation: you make it easy for them to report upward with confidence, without micromanaging you.

And more importantly: you’re writing your own performance narrative. During promotion discussions, your manager needs specific examples of your impact. When you proactively give them those examples, you make it easy for them to advocate for you.

Think of it like asking for a recommendation letter in school. You didn’t just tell your teachers “please write me a recommendation letter” and hope for the best. You sent them a list of accomplishments, examples, and talking points, because you knew they were busy and couldn’t remember every detail of your interactions.

You guided the narrative. The same logic applies at work.

Subscribe now

Part 4: On negotiating your first offer, and how to get out of your own way

What advice would you give young women who are navigating their first job search and preparing to negotiate their first offer?

I’ve gotten to coach many friends and interns through salary negotiation. Here are the two fears I hear the most often, and how I’d reframe them.

Fear #1: “I feel uncomfortable asking for more. I’m grateful to even have an offer in this economy.”

Negotiating doesn’t reflect a lack of gratitude. It reflects that you understand professional norms. Recruiters and hiring managers design their initial offer around the assumption that you’ll negotiate and eventually meet in the middle.

Not negotiating can actually make you seem inexperienced, and you leave money on the table they already planned to give you.

Fear #2: “I’m exhausted from this job search. Negotiating is going to take so long. I just want to be done.”

Negotiating doesn’t take long, because both sides are incentivized to move quickly. In my experience across big tech and startups, after I share my ask, I hear back within 1-3 business days.

And here’s the reframe that helps me most:

You’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this point. Maybe you went months without an offer. Maybe you were rejected from roles you were clearly qualified for. Maybe another job offer was rescinded.

Now you finally have leverage. Make the most of it.

Worst case, you don’t get more, but you still have the job. I’ve known of zero confirmed cases of product managers getting offers rescinded because they negotiated.

More tips for salary negotiation.

Part 5: the habit that has compounded the most throughout my career

What’s one habit or piece of knowledge that compounded the most in your early career?

Never hold back on kind words.

Here’s a story about how an off-hand compliment to a stranger after a Hackathon turned them into my biggest advocate for a job search 4 years later.

A couple years ago, my company was hosting our quarterly Hackathon. At the end of Hackathon week, we had a 4-hour long Hackathon presentation meeting where we go through literally 100 projects demos. As you can imagine…many people tune out after the first few projects.

One of the engineers who went last presented an awesome project. She solved a frustrating problem in a clever way, and her storytelling skills were engaging. Even though we had never worked together before, I messaged her and told her what I appreciated about her project.

That was it! I just told her what I noticed, and didn’t think much of it.

4 years later, we bumped into each other at a café. She moved to SF to join an awesome startup. I mentioned that I was unhappy in my job and starting to interview. She immediately perked up and offered to help me find an opportunity on her team.

She said:

“I know you’re a talented product manager, and everyone loved working with you. I started paying more attention to your projects after you messaged me during that Hackathon week. You have really unique strengths, and I’m going to find the right person for you to talk to — someone influential who will vouch for you.”

And she did exactly that. Without me asking, she became one of my biggest advocates. And I ended up getting a job offer at her company!

How to build genuine professional relationships through noticing others’ strengths

Work is hectic, and people often feel unseen and unappreciated. Those small moments of recognition mean more than you think — and they come back to you in ways you can’t predict.

And you don’t have to save compliments for formal moments. Here are some examples of small moments that inspired me to send someone a brief message:

• User researcher presents insightful findings that I will apply to my work

• Designer gracefully handles tough pushback during a design crit

Why relationships and reputation matter more than ever before

As AI gets better at hard skills (and even some soft skills), I've been thinking a lot about advantages that can't be faked or fast-tracked, advantages that only compound with years of consistent effort.

For me, I’m focusing more than ever on relationships and reputation, to the point of making unpopular decisions, like turning down promotions and passing on teams that looked good on paper, to work with people who are talented, well-respected, and whose belief in me will actually open doors someday.

Subscribe now

As always, I’m cheering for you!

Sophia

• What to prioritize in school & early career to build a future-proof career

• 7 skills I’m betting on to future-proof my career

• Vibe coding is the new way to stand out in tech job applications

• 5 habits that got you into Harvard, but hold you back at work

• How I got real AI product experience without changing jobs

• Stop reading about AI. Start wrestling with it.

• How to turn your nontraditional experiences into a story that sells you

Subscribe now

What should you focus on in school and early career to build a “future-proof” career?

That was the question I explored during my talk for Cal Product Space! I loved getting to share personal stories that I haven’t shared on Instagram or Substack before, based on my experience hiring and managing early career product managers. We talked about:

• Day in my life as an AI product manager

• Transitioning from school to work: unspoken rules to learn and unlearn

• Caring for your mental health

• Building a future-proof career and what to focus on when learning AI

• Making the most of college

If you’d like me to bring this event to your club/org, please email me at hi@sophiapm.com and let’s make it happen!

Below are some highlights from the talk.

From Cognitive Science research to product management

In college, I switched between Cognitive Science, CS, Econ, and Philosophy, and eventually settled on Cognitive Science. I spent my summers doing child psych research at Berkeley, then doing AR/VR research at USC, then working as a product manager intern.

One of the themes throughout my career is that doing the things I love, led me to people who opened doors I did not expect.

So here’s the story of how I found product management:

During my junior year of high school, my friend said that he needed someone to sub in for his debate tournament last minute, and that I’d be a natural at debate. I signed up with no expectations, but miraculously did end up winning the impromptu event and meeting top debaters in the debate league. I ended up staying in touch with one of the girls I met, who was a senior going through college applications.

She committed to Pomona College, invited me to stay with her for an overnight visit, and convinced me to go to Pomona College (which ended up being the perfect decision for me).

Then, when she was student body president, she recruited me to be her VP of Academic Affairs. And when she finished her Google APM internship (and I told her I didn’t love my research internship), she said I should try recruiting for product management (PM) — so I spent that fall semester recruiting for PM, software engineering, and management consulting, and eventually ended up choosing the product management internship. And that internship led to a return offer for a full-time PM job!

Share

Pivoting between AR/VR for healthcare workers, ed tech, and creator monetization tools

One way I’ve been able to pivot between so such different roles, and build range and flexibility early in my career, is by leveraging my passions and expertise outside of work.

• When I was switching from AR/VR to ed tech, I talked about my experience with teaching and my product ideas for improving education products.

• When I was switching from ed tech to creator tools, I talked about my content creation experience. I did a weekly podcast for 4+ years and met a lot of creator friends, so I had a lot of ideas for improving creator products.

Transitioning from school to work: what I had to learn and unlearn

How to make your work visible, without giving yourself the ick

Growing up in an immigrant household, I was taught to focus on doing good work, and trust that it would eventually be recognized. I also believed that promoting myself was self-centered and counterproductive.

In reality, visibility isn’t vanity. Making your work visible is actually a win-win because you’re helping your manager help you.

Here’s why: one of your manager’s core responsibilities is to ensure projects hit targets on time. When you proactively communicate what you’ve completed, you’re doing your manager a favor in 2 ways:

1. You’re de-risking their reputation. Your manager is accountable for your project’s success. Radio silence forces them to either assume everything’s fine (risky) or constantly check in (micromanagement). Clear updates enable them to confidently report upward that things are on track.

2. You’re writing your own performance narrative. During promotion discussions, your manager needs specific examples of your impact. When you proactively provide that, you’re making it so much easier for them to advocate for you. It’s just like asking for recommendation letters in school: you didn’t just say “please write me a recommendation letter” and hope for the best. You provided a list of your accomplishments, specific projects you’d worked on together, and talking points to jog their memory. You guided the narrative because you know your professor is busy and can’t remember every detail of your interactions.

More ideas for turning career blockers into career accelerators.

Share

Making the most of college

Reach out to industry professionals & invite them to do a talk (bonus points: invite them to be on a panel)

Many industry professionals want to give back, but hesitate to do a coffee chat because they’re just helping 1 person at a time. But they’re more likely to say yes to doing a talk — especially for a school like Berkeley — because they can help many people at the same time, and it’s fun to be an invited speaker.

Bonus points if you invite them to be on a panel so they have less content to prepare and they get to meet other cool speakers. Here’s my favorite panel I’ve done, and I’m friends with the panelists to this day!

Befriend people you’re jealous of

The most important thing you can take away from any job or experience is the relationships, but the irony is that the more prestigious the opportunity, the more likely you’re surrounded by people you’re jealous of and struggle to befriend. College is a good time to practice working through those feelings, because you’re only going to continue meeting more accomplished people throughout your career.

I shared the story of how I became friends with the girl I admired the most in college.

Our friendship taught me that the reason we’re jealous of people is also the reason we have the greatest potential for friendship. I was intimidated by her because we’re passionate about similar things and she pursued them more courageously — and that’s also why she understands me so deeply and motivates me in a way that no one else can.

Others may have the same ambitions, dreams, and goals as you do, but they are not your competition. Your “competition” is your own procrastination, insecurities, and ego — so go “compete” with those instead!

Subscribe now

If you’d like me to bring this event to your club/org, please email me at hi@sophiapm.com and let’s make it happen :)

Cheers,

Sophia

• 7 skills I'm betting on to future-proof my career

• Vibe coding is the new way to stand out in tech job applications

• 5 habits that got you into Harvard, but hold you back at work

• How I got real AI product experience without changing jobs

• Stop reading about AI. Start wrestling with it.

• How to turn your nontraditional experiences into a story that sells you

Subscribe now

How do you build a resilient career?

Since graduating from college, I’ve worked as a product manager in big tech and startups. I’ve also interviewed 100+ candidates—from students to director-level leaders—which gives me a front-row seat to observe how careers are changing in this “AI era.” Ever since I started interviewing candidates, I’ve created over 800 pieces of content (on TikTok & Instagram) to help people build skills that future-proof their careers.

The job market is changing faster than ever, and my (liberal arts) college experience laid the foundations for the skills and relationships that help me stay resilient.

Here are five of those skills, and how they continue to serve me today.

1. Relationships — from your first doors to lifelong advocates

How my liberal arts education helped me build this

At my college, professors aren’t just instructors, they’re also mentors and advocates. They wrote my first recommendation letters and made introductions that opened doors in both academia and industry. Because of our small class sizes and teaching culture, professors actually had the time and desire to know students deeply.

My peers and I also genuinely looked out for each other. I’m grateful that my formative years were spent in a collaborative environment where I learned to see talented classmates as inspiration, not competition. That mindset—seeking to learn from others instead of feeling threatened by their success—has been invaluable in every workplace since. (And even if I wasn’t close with some people in college, there’s an unspoken understanding that they’re excited to reconnect, and vice versa.)

After all, one of the most important things you get from college is the network. Competitive college environments often sabotage the very relationships that make college so valuable in the first place. In contrast, collaborative environments help you turn acquaintances into true advocates.

Why it matters in the workplace

In today’s job market, a single posting can get 1,000+ applications in days, so referrals are critical for even getting a chance to interview. Furthermore, many of the opportunities I’ve gotten were never posted online. They came through spontaneous conversations with friends and “loose ties.”

What I teach now

Relationships often open doors that skills may never be able to open. I teach students and professionals on how to nurture relationships by asking thoughtful questions, following up consistently, and offering to be useful before asking for anything in return.

Relationships compound like interest: the earlier you start investing, the more resilient your career becomes.

2. Courage and willingness to ask for help

How my liberal arts education helped me build this

In my first semester, I noticed something surprising in classes with sophomores and juniors: even the smartest students went to mentor sessions and asked questions in front of their peers. This was a huge shift from high school, where most people pretended to understand even when they were struggling. This culture of intellectual humility taught me how to ask for help and to verbalize: here’s what I tried, here’s where I’m stuck, here’s what I need help with.

Why it matters in the workplace

With fewer entry-level roles and leaner teams, every person carries a heavier workload. That makes it more important than ever to ask for help proactively and strategically. You can’t just pepper colleagues with questions…you need to show what you’ve tried, where you’re stuck, and ask in a way that makes it easy for others to help. I credit my ability to do this to years of attending mentor sessions in college.

What I teach now

I share a framework for asking for help strategically:

“I want to [goal].
I’ve tried [these approaches].
I’ve asked [these stakeholders].
I’m stuck because of [this specific problem].
Any ideas for how to solve [this specific problem]?”

This works because it shows your effort, provides context, and asks a clear question—so colleagues can jump straight to helping.

Share

3. Proactiveness to create your own path

How my liberal arts education helped me build this

Raising your hand was also rewarded outside the classroom. There were so many opportunities relative to the number of students. From on-campus jobs and to paid internships, if you pursued an opportunity, you often got it. And these work experiences add up on your resume.

And if it didn’t exist, you could create it. I designed an independent study with a professor, which became my application for an AR/VR research program funded by the National Science Foundation. This research program led to my first job as a product manager working on AR/VR at Microsoft.

Why it matters in the workplace

You have to be the biggest advocate for your own career. Success often means defining your own goals, figuring out the gaps in your experience, and designing learning experiences that close those gaps. That’s especially true in fast-moving fields like AI product management, where there’s no official playbook.

For example: when I was at a creator economy startup, I pitched a “content multiplier” tool that would help creators repurpose one video into 40+ pieces of content across social media platforms. It gave me the exact experience I needed to transition into an AI product manager role.

What I teach now

I encourage students and professionals to look ahead and think about the jobs they want a year from now. Then, work backwards. Identify gaps in your experience and design a project that enables you to build those skills. Then, when pitching the project to your team, frame the value of the project to the company’s business and reputation.

Share

4. Public speaking confidence

How my liberal arts education helped me build this

The majority of my classes were discussion-based and only had 15 students. In these small classes, you couldn’t just sit quietly. You had to speak up, defend your ideas, and respond to pushback.

Why it matters in the workplace

At work, decisions are often made quickly, in meetings with many people in the room. Thinking on the spot and speaking confidently are critical skills. Even though AI can help you prepare for meetings, you still need to work on building composure and confidence to convey your idea under pressure.

5. Self-complexity and differentiation

How my liberal arts education helped me build this

My college made it very easy to take classes in any department, regardless of your major. That culture of exploration gave me a more flexible self-identity and greater self-complexity (the idea that who you are isn’t anchored in just one role). That resilience has been essential: setbacks in one area don’t define me because I have multiple sources of identity.

My “side quests” in college often turned into career accelerators:

• Running my college’s Instagram account gave me content creation experience, which enabled me to build a platform as a career and AI educator.

• Teaching and volunteering during college helped me pivot into an edtech role during the pandemic.

• AR/VR research I started during college became the foundation for my first product manager role working on AR/VR collaboration tools for healthcare workers.

Why it matters in the workplace

Employers increasingly expect you to upskill on your own time. Passion projects, even ones unrelated to your “main” role, can teach you new skills and perspectives. Furthermore, you don’t need to be the best in the world at one thing. You need to be good at two or three things, and when you combine them, you have a market-dominating skill set. My own niches emerged this way.

What I teach now

I encourage students and professionals to lean their interests, and use them as a starting point to learn new skills.

Share

Careers are full of change. What lasts are the skills and relationships that no one can take away from you.

Cheering for you,

Sophia

Subscribe now

• 7 skills I'm betting on to future-proof my career

• Vibe coding is the new way to stand out in tech job applications

• Figma panel highlights: Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI

Subscribe now

AI is flooding our feeds: new tools, new models, new billion-dollar valuations.

You’ll never keep up with every headline, and that’s okay! The real differentiator isn’t what you learn, it’s how you learn: pick a few AI tools to wrestle with, test them against real problems, and walk away with hard-won lessons that actually stick.

Here are four ways to start today.

1. Reach for AI when your instincts say “there must be a better way…”

One of the hardest parts of learning AI is making time to explore new tools.

Here’s an easy way: when you’re about to procrastinate on a tedious task, reach for AI instead. Real-world friction is the best motivation! :)

• Onboarding to a new project at work? → Ask Copilot to summarize the docs and prioritize next steps.

• Tired of copying the same info across systems? → Build an agent to automate the workflow.

• Need to benchmark competitors? → Ask Perplexity to map the space in minutes.

Doing this also makes you a better product builder. Product building is fundamentally about uncovering pain points and solving them. When you apply AI to your own day-to-day frustrations, you’re acting as your own user.

AI won’t always work the way you expect. But every time you wrestle with it directly, you’re training your instincts on what’s hype vs what’s helpful. Over time, these moments compound into the kind of product intuition that actually future-proofs your career.

2. Push AI to its limits

Using AI to solve your own problems is a great start, but don’t stop there! To take your learning to the next level, stress-test AI tools. Try things that are absurdly ambitious. Feed it messy, real-world inputs and see what happens:

• Where did the tool fall short?

• What worked surprisingly well?

• Where did I need to step in and course-correct?

Most people stop the moment AI “kind of works.” The people who push past that point become better product builders because they:

• Spot opportunities: when tools break, you see gaps in the market and opportunities to build something better.

• Anticipate pitfalls: the bugs, blind spots, and edge cases you uncover now are the ones you’ll know how to prevent (or design around) later.

Share

3. Turn roadblocks into proof of execution expertise

Building AI products is full of challenges:

• The model that looked magical in a demo collapses on real data.

• The “simple” automation unravels once edge cases pile up.

• The new legislation that forces you to rethink everything from scratch.

These roadblocks are valuable because they’re exactly the kind of real-world friction you can’t fabricate, which makes them the most compelling stories in job interviews, pitch presentations, and more.

Instead of backing off when things break, lean in and figure it out. Every time you do, you're collecting proof that:

• You’ve faced ambiguous problems

• You’re adaptable

• You can bring novel expertise to the team

The hassles you face today become the career stories that set you apart tomorrow.

Share

4. Turn learning into leverage

You can spend hours testing AI tools, pushing their limits, and launching products, but if you don’t capture what you learned, you quickly forget your hard-won lessons.

Here’s what I do: every week, I set aside one hour to document what I learned. I use my own SSTART framework:

• Situation / Stakes: What was the problem? How did I know it was a problem? What would’ve happened if I didn’t solve it?

• Task: What did I need to accomplish?

• Actions: What was the first thing I tried? What else did I try? What ultimately worked?

• Result: What was the impact or insight I walked away with?

• Transferable skills: Where else might this learning apply? What roadblocks can I now better anticipate? What process improvements do I want to make to prevent this issue from happening again?

This simple habit helps you make the most of every hour that you spend on learning AI. Over time, this collection of stories becomes a portfolio of experiences you can reference in job promotions, talks, and interviews. :)

Subscribe now

If you haven’t subscribed yet, here’s what you missed:

• How to Survive a Life That’s Not Going to Plan: My résumé makes no sense. My life finally does.

• 7 skills I’m betting on to futureproof my career

Read time: 11 minutes

Subscribe now

🎓 I loved designing and leading this workshop at Harvard.

👋 Want to bring this workshop to your school or organization? I’d love to hear from you! Please email hi@sophiapm.com.

If you crushed it in school but find yourself crushed by unspoken rules at work…you’re not alone!

The rules changed when you entered the workplace. What got you here won't get you where you want to go.

Here are 5 common blind spots that high achievers often face, and how to turn them into career accelerators:

1. How to make your work visible, without giving yourself the ick

2. How to ask for help strategically, without seeming incompetent

3. How to propose solutions, not just pose questions

4. How to focus on outcomes, not just outputs

5. How to make decisions without complete information

Each section includes specific scripts and frameworks you can use immediately.

1. How to make your work visible, without giving yourself the ick

❌ Your blind spot

Believing excellent work automatically gets recognized.

What you're probably thinking: “My work speaks for itself. If I deliver quality work, people will notice. My manager should recognize good work the same way professors graded papers—objectively and thoroughly.”

Why this worked in school but backfires at work:

• School: Everyone in your class is completing the same assignment, so it’s somewhat straightforward to recognize excellent work.

• Work: Your manager oversees dozens of different projects and rarely sees your day-to-day work. They rely on the narrative that you provide about your contributions.

💡Reality

Visibility isn't vanity! You’re creating win-wins by helping your manager help you.

Here’s why: one of your manager’s core responsibilities is to ensure projects hit targets on time. When you proactively communicate what you’ve completed, you're doing two critical things:

1. You're de-risking their reputation. Your manager is accountable for your project's success. Radio silence forces them to either assume everything's fine (risky) or constantly check in (micromanagement). Clear updates enable them to confidently report upward that things are on track.

2. You're writing your own performance narrative. During promotion discussions, your manager needs specific examples of your impact. When you proactively provide that, you're making it so much easier for them to advocate for you. It's just like asking for recommendation letters in school: you didn't just say "please write me a recommendation letter" and hope for the best. You provided a list of your accomplishments, specific projects you'd worked on together, and talking points to jog their memory. You guided the narrative because you know your professor is busy and can’t remember every detail of your interactions.

The mindset shift: From “My work should speak for itself” to “My communication amplifies my work.”

✅ Next steps

Start a running list of your accomplishments using this free Notion template. You’ll want to keep everything in 1 document to make it easy to reference and reach for.

For each project, fill out these 2 tables:

How to use it:

• Pin it 📌 to your 1:1 chat with your manager, to make it easy for them to reference

• During your 1:1 meetings with your manager, share your screen and review updates to the list

2. How to ask for help strategically, without seeming incompetent

❌ Your blind spot

Focusing on proving how much you already know, instead of how quickly you can learn what’s important.

What you're probably thinking: “I got put on a new project, and I’m expected to figure this out by myself, without bothering anyone else. Asking questions makes me look unprepared and incompetent.”

💡Reality

Every project involves unique stakeholders, tools, processes, and "unspoken rules" that no amount of prior experience can teach you upfront.

So no one expects you to know everything upfront. But they do expect you to ramp up quickly.

And your colleagues are willing to help. But they won’t be happy if you just pepper them with questions in an inefficient way. They expect you to ask smart questions that help them help you.

The mindset shift you need: From "I should already know this" to "I should learn this as quickly as possible, so I can start contributing to the team as quickly as possible."

✅ Next steps

When asking for help, use this framework:

“I want to [goal].

I've tried [these approaches]

and asking for help from [these stakeholders].

I'm stuck because of [this specific problem].

Any ideas for how to solve [this specific problem]?”

Why this works:

1. Providing context upfront eliminates back-and-forth clarification questions

2. Showing your work demonstrates you're proactive and helps them narrow in on the right solution

3. Asking specific questions makes it easy for them to give actionable advice

   Subscribe now

3. How to propose solutions, not just pose questions

❌ Your blind spot

Waiting for clear directions instead of taking your best guess before asking for clarification.

What you're probably thinking: “This situation is ambiguous. I should ask for instructions so I don't mess up."

Why this worked in school but backfires at work:

• School: Many questions were about clarifying logistics, like due dates or submission requirements.

• Work: Most ambiguity involves strategic decisions that don’t have predetermined answers. Your manager expects you to wrestle with complexity and ambiguity to propose solutions, not ask them to think through problems for you.

💡Reality

Your manager hired you to think through problems, not simply execute perfectly-crafted plans (because they don’t exist).

Plus, when you directly tackle an ambiguous problem, you're building the strategic thinking muscles that drive career growth. Waiting for instructions keeps you stuck in execution mode.

The mindset shift: From “What should I do?” → to “Here’s what I’d do, do you have any feedback on this approach?”

✅ Next steps

When proposing recommendations, follow this framework:

“To achieve [goal], I recommend [#1 option/approach] because [key factor].

If we want to prioritize [different factor], we could [#2 option].

Any feedback on this plan?'“

Why this works:

• Anchors the conversation around the goal and prioritization framework

• Leads with your recommendation so your manager can quickly assess your thought process (this technique is also called “Bottom Line Up Front”)

• Shows your reasoning so they understand how you got there

• Demonstrates strategic awareness by acknowledging trade-offs and alternatives

• Invites collaboration rather than just seeking approval

Examples:

Example 1: Project timeline issue

“To launch the product by Q3 as planned, I recommend we reduce the beta testing phase from 6 weeks to 4 weeks. This keeps us on schedule while still validating core functionality. If we want to prioritize comprehensive testing over timeline, we could alternatively push the launch to Q4 and maintain the full testing scope. Any feedback on this approach?”

Example 2: Budget allocation decision

“To maximize lead generation within our $50K budget, I recommend we allocate 70% to digital ads and 30% to conference sponsorships based on our cost-per-lead data from last quarter. This should generate approximately 500 qualified leads. If we want to prioritize brand awareness over lead generation, we could flip the allocation to favor conferences and industry events. What's your take on this direction?"

4. How to focus on outcomes, not just outputs

❌ Your blind spot

You prioritize working on the hardest problems.

What you're thinking: “My technical skills and smart insights should be enough to get promoted. The best ideas should win.”

💡Reality

Intelligence is table stakes. Influence is the multiplier.

The smartest person in the room often isn't the most successful, it's the person who can get smart ideas implemented. After all, even the best ideas require champions, internal marketing, and political support; technical merit alone doesn't ensure success.

The mindset shift: From “I complete the hardest tasks" to “I drive the best measurable outcomes.”

✅ Next steps

Focus on outcomes, not just outputs. Understand how your team measures success, and how your work contributes to that success.

5. How to make decisions without complete information

❌ Your blind spot

Believing more research always leads to better decisions.

What you're thinking: "I need to research every angle before making a recommendation. I can't risk missing something important."

Why this worked in school but backfires at work:

• School: Academic environments reward thorough, high-quality outcomes.

• Work: Business environments reward high-ROI outcomes, i.e., outcomes relative to the time and effort spent achieving them.

💡Reality

Waiting for complete information means missing opportunities. Most business decisions are reversible, so perfect information is rarely worth the delay.

The mindset shift: From "I need all the data" to "I need the most valuable data ASAP."

✅ Next steps

1. Ask yourself this question before deciding how much time to spent on doing due diligence for a decision: Is it a one-way door or two-way door?

   1. One-way doors (hard to reverse): Major hires, product launches, significant investments → Take time for thorough analysis

   2. Two-way doors (easy to reverse): Daily decisions, pilot programs, small experiments
      → Decide quickly with 70% of the information

2. Focus on eigenquestions: Instead of researching everything, start by identifying 2-3 questions where, if answered, likely answers subsequent questions. Focus on those first.

Conclusion

Here's what no one told me about transitioning from school to work: it’s not just about learning new skills, it’s also about unlearning old patterns.

But don’t worry! The same drive that made you successful in school will make you successful at work, once you redirect it toward the right priorities. 💎

As always, I’m cheering for you!

Sophia

Connect with Sophia

• 🥳 Is this your first time here? Subscribe (it’s free)!

• 💌 Want me to lead a workshop at your organization or school? I’d love to hear from you! Please email hi@sophiapm.com.

• Figma panel highlights: Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI

• Questions to ask at the end of an interview to figure out what’s *really* going on

• How I got real AI product experience without changing jobs

Read time: 8 minutes

Subscribe now

It’s a strange time to work as an AI product manager. As AI gets better at hard skills (and even some soft skills), I’ve been thinking about:

• Which skills will survive, and which skills will AI make obsolete?

• What advantages can’t be faked or fast-tracked — no matter how capable AI becomes?

• What only compounds with years of consistent effort, so I need to start investing in them now?

A conversation with designers and creatives from Figma, OpenAI, and YouTube pushed me to finally jot down my thoughts. So here are the 10 skills I’m betting on — including ‘individual’ skills, interpersonal skills, and compounding skills that grow exponentially with time.

Part 1. Individual skills

1. Following through on your curiosity

I disagree with AI leaders like Mike Krieger (Anthropic) and Ben Mann (Anthropic) who say that curiosity is the most important skill in this AI economy.

Many people are curious. Few have the discipline to follow through and actually apply what they learned.

2. Resisting illusions of progress

What makes follow-through harder than ever is that AI gives you a very convincing feeling that you’ve already made progress. You ask it to help you plan out a project, it generates a thorough plan, and you close the laptop feeling like you’ve accomplished something.

But you haven’t. The plan is not the work. I try to be mindful of that satisfied feeling, because it’s one of the sneakier ways AI slows me down while making me feel like I’m moving fast.

3. Thinking clearly under pressure

Being able to think clearly without AI is a practical requirement for working on fast-paced teams. Sure, you can use AI to refine your decisions, but you often need to make decisions during meetings when all eyes are on you. So you still need to rely on your own instincts.

4. Cultivating taste across disciplines

Having an eye for quality across disciplines is only half of it. The harder part is articulating what makes something good, and articulating it clearly enough to rally your team around that high bar.

And you can't articulate it until you've worked it out for yourself. I can ask AI to help me iterate on something a hundred times, but at some point, I need to decide: Is this good enough? And if I want to keep iterating, what exactly am I looking for? That judgment call—knowing when something crosses the threshold from decent to delightful—is what I’m refining.

Part 2. Interpersonal skills

5. Navigating conflict with empathy and clarity

As teams move faster and stakes get higher, healthy conflict becomes inevitable. The ability to face tension, speak directly, and still preserve trust will separate teams that survive from teams that grow stronger together.

6. Creating a culture where teammates want to bring their best self

Staying proud of my work isn't just about what my team creates or the impact we have. It's also about how empowered my team feels throughout the process.

I feel proudest when my teammates have a deep sense of ownership and purpose, when they have enough clarity and focus to stay in flow, and when they feel enough psychological safety to ask the hard questions that help us all do better.

Creating this environment requires resolving conflicts quickly, listening carefully, noticing my colleagues' strengths, and encouraging them to keep doing what they do well.

In an AI-accelerated world where everyone can produce more, faster, the teams that thrive will be the ones where people actually want to bring their best thinking to work.

Part 3. Compounding skills

7. Building and conveying your conviction

There’s something irreplaceable about conviction that’s earned, built from the firsthand conversations and small details you only get by being genuinely close to the people you’re building for. That kind of conviction can’t be manufactured from skimming AI summaries of user research interviews.

And when you work alongside someone who has that kind of conviction, you feel it. So when I’m rallying my team around an idea, I share the user interactions that have stuck with me. Often, it’s these specific stories, not a data point, that inspires action.

8. Building self-trust by creating the conditions you need to thrive

No matter how good AI gets at reasoning and executing, it can’t master yourself on your behalf. It can’t build the kind of self-trust that only comes from doing hard things and proving to yourself, repeatedly, that you can.

Doing hard things starts with inner work. I’ve learned to notice when I’m self-sabotaging — and to ask myself why. Is there some part of me that’s invested in staying stuck? What failure am I trying to protect myself from?

It also means knowing yourself well enough to set yourself up to succeed:

• What does it take for me to get out of a creative rut? Right now, for me, it’s listening to one specific podcast while driving along the coast. Or, rewatching interviews with Olympian Alysa Liu :)

• Which tasks should I stack together, so finishing one gives me enough momentum to roll straight into the next?

• What conditions — music, time of day, environment, even down to the candle scent — get me into a state of flow? And what would it take to protect those conditions more deliberately?

9. Investing in relationships and building a strong reputation

AI can’t build a track record of showing up for people, or earn you the trust that comes from someone saying I’ve worked with her, and you should too.

I’ve turned down great opportunities to continue working alongside people who are talented and well-respected, people whose familiarity with my work and belief in me will open doors someday.

Most people have access to the same tools, so who vouches for you — and why — matters more than ever.

10. Having the courage to be seen trying

In a world where it’s easier than ever to ship products, publish content, and get ideas out into the world, the true differentiator is the trust people place in you.

I predict that growing your career will be less about waiting to be picked and more about proactively showing up, putting your name on your work, and helping people discover you.

To succeed in anything meaningful, you will still need the courage to risk judgment, disagreement, and failure along the way. That hasn’t changed, and I don’t think it will.

Share

• Business Insider: AI product management in big tech

• Figma: “Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI” panel with speakers from OpenAI, Apple, YouTube, Figma, Microsoft

• Pomona College: Senior class president commencement speech

• Forbes: Kajabi Partners With Adobe To Stop Creator Burnout

• New York Times: How ‘Subtle Asian Traits’ Became a Global Hit

• Forbes: Microsoft Has Become One Of The Most Powerful Forces In Healthcare, With No Signs Of Slowing Down

• Forbes: AR-enabled Remote Assist for Surgical Procedures

Corporate events

1. Figma: “Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI” panel with speakers from OpenAI, Apple, YouTube, Figma, Microsoft

2. Notion: Make with Notion talk about how I use Notion in my career and content creation

3. Snap: “Launching AR learning lenses” talk

4. Microsoft: “Breaking in without burning out: career strategies for ambitious new grads” talk

Universities

5. Commencement speaker at Pomona College (video)

6. Inauguration speaker for Pomona College’s 10th President (video, article)

7. Hackathon mentor for CalHacks 2025

8. Stanford: “Navigating life & career after Stanford”

9. Harvard: “5 habits that got you into Harvard, but hold you back at work”

10. Berkeley: “Navigating the unspoken rules of the workplace”

11. Carnegie Mellon, Tepper School of Business: “Product management casing workshop”

12. Claremont McKenna College + Harvey Mudd College + Pomona College: “How mixed reality is empowering 2 billion workers who have traditionally been left behind by technology” talk

13. Pomona College: “How to pivot into product management as a non-traditional applicant” panel

14. 10+ more similar talks at Wharton, Georgetown, University of Washington, UIUC, University of Michigan, University of Florida, UCLA, and more

Publications

Future of work: AI & creator economy

I launched Creator Studio, an AI-powered content repurposing tool used by 60,000+ creators.

23. Forbes: Kajabi Partners With Adobe To Stop Creator Burnout

24. TechCrunch: Online education platform Kajabi helps creators earn money for sharing their expertise

25. Creator Studio tips with Roberto Blake (creator educator with 638k+ on YouTube)

Future of work: productivity & collaboration

I helped launch Remote Assist on Microsoft HoloLens, a AR-powered productivity tool used by doctors and other frontline workers.

26. Forbes: Microsoft Has Become One Of The Most Powerful Forces In Healthcare, With No Signs Of Slowing Down

27. Forbes: AR-enabled Remote Assist for Surgical Procedures

28. Business Insider: Doctors in London hospitals are using headsets from Microsoft to reduce the amount of staff coming into contact with COVID-19 patients

29. Wired: How Mixed Reality Is Empowering Doctors and Helping Patients

30. National Institutes of Health: Use of the HoloLens2 Mixed Reality Headset for Protecting Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

31. Journal of the American Medical Association: Effect of Mixed Reality on Delivery of Emergency Medical Care in a Simulated Environment

Education

32. Profiled by Pomona College for my career path from cognitive science to AI product management in big tech and startups

33. Pomona College: “The Value of the Liberal Arts”

Fun!

Including personal stories about Asian American cultural identity, and the unexpected ways technology shapes our lives.

34. New York Times: featured a story that I shared in Subtle Asian Traits, the fastest-growing Facebook group about Asian culture and identity

35. Quartz: shared the story of how I met my partner

36. Love song medley (500k views on YouTube), a piece I arranged and performed

37. Pomona College: featured my story committing to Pomona College

38. Art with Intent: “Telling Asian American Stories” interview

Organizations

39. Tech Together: “Protecting your mental health during the job search” panel with author Mandy Tang

40. Asian American Journalists Association, Asian Creative Network, Creative Asians Community: “How to Pitch Yourself to Journalists & Podcasters” pane

41. Asian American Professional Association: “Navigating Unspoken Rules in the Workplace” workshop

42. Asian American Mentoring Program: “Careers in Tech & Media” workshop

43. Oakland Asian Cultural Center: “Reclaiming Our Bodies: Deconstructing & Disowning Female Beauty Standard,” post-show panel for “140 LBS” by Susan Lieu, playwright and actor

44. Center for the Pacific Asian Family: “Identifying Healthy vs Unhealthy Friendships & Relationships” workshop

If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s what you missed:

• LinkedIn's APB (Associate Product Builder) 2025 program opens 9/2. Here are 3 ways to start preparing today.

• Figma panel highlights: Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI

Read time: 6 minutes

Subscribe now

Vibe coding is one of the fastest-moving trends in tech careers. And unlike other AI skills, it’s already being formally assessed in interviews.

Of all the AI skills people talk about (prompt engineering, fine-tuning, eval writing), vibe coding is the only one companies are making public statements about adding to their product management hiring process:

1. Resumes → replaced by demos
   LinkedIn’s new Associate Product Builder program doesn’t want your resume. The first step of the application is a 60-second demo of something you built.

2. Interviews → upgraded with live vibe coding
   Shopify’s COO announced they’re adding a (vibe) coding section to every PM interview.

So if you’re overwhelmed by which AI skills to learn, start here! Vibe coding is one of the most practical skills you can pick up right now.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to:

1. Brainstorm project ideas that solve a real problem and showcase your product sense

2. Pick a beginner-friendly prototyping tool

3. Build the 1st version of your project

4. Refine your project with natural language

5. Showcase your project on a resume

6. Demo your project at events and career fairs

7. Get real users

8. Talk about your project during interviews

Step 1: How to come up with project ideas that solve a real problem and showcase your product sense

The best projects solve a real problem you’re motivated to solve. To identify a problem worth solving, ask yourself:

Moments of friction

• When do you find yourself saying "there has to be a better way to do this"?

• What's the most annoying task you do multiple times per week?

• What process feels like it has too many unnecessary steps?

• What app do you use that makes you think "I wish this had..."?

• What's something you procrastinate on because the existing tools are too clunky?

• Where do you find yourself regularly using workarounds or hacks?

Workflow gaps

• What information do you wish was automatically connected but isn't?

• What do you find yourself copying/pasting between different apps?

• What reminder or notification do you wish existed but doesn't?

Micro-interactions & delight

• What's a boring task that could be surprisingly fun with the right interface?

• How could you make something tedious feel like a game?

• What's an everyday interaction that could feel more magical?

Here are the projects I’ve created with vibe coding tools:

1. Social: Collaborative bingo card for your friend group’s bucket list

2. Productivity: Describe your dream life, and get daily reminders and affirmations delivered to your inbox (uses OpenAI API and Gmail API)

3. Sports: Digitize, animate, and visualize sports plays from any angle on the court. Works for basketball, football, and more.

4. Healthcare/education: Chatbot that helps healthcare trainees/medical students practice having difficult conversations with patients.

5. Design: Drag-and-drop ikebana composer, inspired by @meshtimes!

Share

Step 2: Pick a prototyping tool

Beginner-friendly tools include:

• Lovable

• Replit

• v0

Step 3: Drop your idea in the prototyping tool

Example, paste this:

Build a drag-and-drop flower arrangement app. On the left, show me options for vases, flowers, and leaves. On the right, build a canvas where I can add elements and resize, rotate, crop, and arrange them in layers.

You can also upload screenshots of products you like as inspiration.

Step 4: Continue refining your project by describing the changes you want to see

And if the project has errors, screenshot them and ask the tool to help you fix it.

Step 5: How to write about your project on your resume

If you don’t have impact metrics and usage data: Built [project name], which helps [user] do [task] so they can [outcome]. Used [prototyping tool].

If you do have impact metrics and usage data, include those!

Share

Step 6: How to talk about your project at an event

A shortcut I used to land interviews was showing up to events with a project I could demo on my phone. Here’s how you can do the same thing at job fairs, networking events, hackathons, conferences, and more.

During the event:

Prepare a 2-3 sentence explanation about what problem your project solves, and how.

Example: “I’m Sophia, and I built a tool that helps students keep up with their social life. Most events we hear about are through Instagram posts or physical flyers, but it’s annoying to manually add them to your calendar. With my tool, you just snap a photo or screenshot, and it automatically creates a Google calendar event for you.”

More examples:

• Photography app

• Language learning app

After the event:

Send an email like this:
“Hi [name], it was great meeting you at [event]. I’m Sophia — we chatted about my project [describe your project]. I’ve already applied for the [internship name and look forward to hearing back from your team. My resume is attached — looking forward to hearing from your team.”

Step 7: How to get real users for your product

Make a quick 30-second demo video, then share it on social media (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, relevant Facebook groups and subreddits).

Step 8: How to talk about your project during your interview

Interviewers will assess your product sense. Similar to the framework you use to solve a product sense interview question, be prepared to talk about:

• What problems/pain points are you solving? How did you prioritize which problem to solve?

• What solutions did you consider? How did you pick the solution?

• Are there existing solutions for this problem? How is your project different from existing solutions?

• How did you get people to use the product? What was their feedback? How did prioritize the feedback you were getting? How did you adapt to their feedback?

• What were some challenges you encountered while building this? How did you overcome those challenges?

• If you had more time, what additional features would you add?

• How do you define success for your product?

Subscribe now

If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s what you missed:

• Vibe coding tutorial for beginners: project ideas, and how to talk about projects on resumes and in interviews

• Perplexity Associate Product Manager program

• 5 AI prompts to level-up product strategy, executive presence, and execution speed

• The stories that got me hired as a PM involved 0 technical skills

• how to prepare for AI product manager interviews, part 1: product sense

  Subscribe now

Update on 9/2: the Associate Product Builder program is now open, and these are the application questions:

1. What was the problem or opportunity you were addressing? (DO NOT exceed 250 characters)

2. What did you build? (DO NOT exceed 150 characters)

3. What was your role in building it (design, code, prototype, etc.)? (DO NOT exceed 150 characters)

4. Tell us about the impact of the product (e.g., metrics or feedback). (DO NOT exceed 350 characters)

5. What was your tech stack? What AI did you use in the product? (DO NOT exceed 250 characters)

6. What was your key customer learning or product insight related to this product? (DO NOT exceed 150 characters)

You’ll see that the questions are similar to what I predicted in the earlier version of this blog post, and in other blog posts dedicated to vibe coding, personal projects, and AI prototyping!

LinkedIn replaced their Associate Product Management (APM) program with a Associate Product Builder program that opens on 9/2.

Here’s how you start preparing now, so that you can submit your application when it opens on 9/2.

In this blog post:

Step 1: How to brainstorm project ideas that solve a real problem and showcase your product sense

Key program info

What is the LinkedIn Associate Product Builder program?

The first-ever Associate Product Builder (APB) program fuses product, design, and engineering into one powerful role. Join AI-native teams to ship world-class products for 1B+ members and redefine LinkedIn’s future.

How to apply

Applications open September 2, 2025, and close September 7, 2025 at 11:59pm PST. You’ll apply right here.

The application is builder-first, just like the program. You’ll share:

• A 60-second demo of a product you built that people use or have used (website, repo, portfolio, etc).

• Answer a few questions about what you built and how you built it using AI tools

• No resume. We want your work, not your job history.

What kinds of problems will I work on?

As an APB, you’ll build AI-powered products that help professionals connect to opportunity. From improving job matches to uncovering untapped talent, you’ll tackle real-world problems that impact over a billion people using LinkedIn’s unique data and AI to move careers and the global economy forward.

Is this role more technical or more product-focused?

It’s both. As an APB, you’ll develop a full-stack product building mindset. You’ll think across product, design, engineering, and business. You’ll prototype, build, and ship with support from mentors in each discipline, learning to balance technical and strategic skills.

How technical do I need to be?

You don’t need to be an engineering expert, but you should be comfortable working with code, prototyping tools, and AI-assisted development workflows. The goal is to accelerate your learning and build features independently with support.

What support will I get if I’ve never worked in a formal product role?

You don’t need formal product experience. The APB Program is built to teach you from the ground up. You’ll get a structured curriculum, hands-on mentorship across product, design, engineering, and business, and a tight-knit peer community to learn and grow with.

What happens after the program ends?

The APB Program is designed to set you up for long-term success at LinkedIn and beyond. Those who demonstrate strong performance and align with our values are well-positioned to continue leading high-impact work at LinkedIn as Full Stack Builders, either with their current team or a new one.

Can I apply if I’ve already graduated or I’m already working full time?

Yes! The APB program is open to candidates who are ready to make a career pivot or take the next step in their product journey, regardless of whether you’re currently in school or employed.

Do I need a degree or formal training to apply?

Yes, you’ll need to have completed a bachelor’s degree in a technical or product-related discipline by December 2025 in order to be eligible for this cohort.

Can I still apply to the APM program?

No. We are no longer accepting applications for APM. If you're interested in early-career product roles at LinkedIn, APB is the path forward.

Share

How to start preparing today

The application requires you to demo a “product YOU BUILT that people have used (website, repo, portfolio, etc).”

If you haven’t built something before, the simplest way is to use vibe coding tools, also called AI prototyping tools.

Vibe coding is like telling ChatGPT to write code. You describe what you want using plain English, and keep chatting with the tool to refine the website. All without writing a single line of code!)

Step 1: How to brainstorm project ideas that solve a real problem and showcase your product sense

The best projects solve a real problem you’re motivated to solve. To identify a problem worth solving, ask yourself:

Moments of friction

• When do you find yourself saying "there has to be a better way to do this"?

• What's the most annoying task you do multiple times per week?

• What process feels like it has too many unnecessary steps?

• What app do you use that makes you think "I wish this had..."?

• What's something you procrastinate on because the existing tools are too clunky?

• Where do you find yourself regularly using workarounds or hacks?

Workflow gaps

• What information do you wish was automatically connected but isn't?

• What do you find yourself copying/pasting between different apps?

• What reminder or notification do you wish existed but doesn't?

Micro-interactions & delight

• What's a boring task that could be surprisingly fun with the right interface?

• How could you make something tedious feel like a game?

• What's an everyday interaction that could feel more magical?

Share

These questions inspired the personal project that I talked about in my Google APM, Meta RPM, and Microsoft PM interviews.

More project ideas:

Step 2: Use a vibe coding tool and start with a simple project

Easiest tools to get started with:

• v0.dev

• lovable.dev

• emergent.sh

• heyboss.ai

• bolt.new

Examples of easy projects:

• “Make a 2-player tic-tac-toe game.” ← just paste this into the text box of any of the tools I mention above. Then, keep chatting with the tool until you get it to look exactly the way you want it to.

Step 1: How to come up with project ideas that solve a real problem and showcase your product sense

The best projects solve a real problem you’re motivated to solve. To identify a problem worth solving, ask yourself:

Moments of friction

• When do you find yourself saying "there has to be a better way to do this"?

• What's the most annoying task you do multiple times per week?

• What process feels like it has too many unnecessary steps?

• What app do you use that makes you think "I wish this had..."?

• What's something you procrastinate on because the existing tools are too clunky?

• Where do you find yourself regularly using workarounds or hacks?

Workflow gaps

• What information do you wish was automatically connected but isn't?

• What do you find yourself copying/pasting between different apps?

• What reminder or notification do you wish existed but doesn't?

Micro-interactions & delight

• What's a boring task that could be surprisingly fun with the right interface?

• How could you make something tedious feel like a game?

• What's an everyday interaction that could feel more magical?

Share

Step 2: Pick a no-code prototyping tool

Beginner-friendly tools include:

• v0 (Get started for free: v0.dev)

• Emergent (Get started for free: emergent.sh)

• Lovable (Get started for free: lovable.dev)

• Bolt (Get started for free: bolt.new)

• HeyBoss (Get started for free: heyboss.ai)

Step 3: Drop your idea in the prototyping tool

Example, paste this:

Build a drag-and-drop flower arrangement app. On the left, show me options for vases, flowers, and leaves. On the right, build a canvas where I can add elements and resize, rotate, crop, and arrange them in layers.

You can also upload screenshots of products you like as inspiration.

Step 4: Continue refining your project by describing the changes you want to see

And if the project has errors, screenshot them and ask the tool to help you fix it.

Step 7: How to talk about your project during your interview

Interviewers will assess your product sense. Similar to the framework you use to solve a product sense interview question, be prepared to talk about:

• What problems/pain points are you solving? How did you prioritize which problem to solve?

• What solutions did you consider? How did you pick the solution?

• Are there existing solutions for this problem? How is your project different from existing solutions?

• How did you get people to use the product? What was their feedback? How did prioritize the feedback you were getting? How did you adapt to their feedback?

• What were some challenges you encountered while building this? How did you overcome those challenges?

• If you had more time, what additional features would you add?

• How do you define success for your product?

Additional recruiting resources:

• Perplexity Associate Product Manager program

• Google APM, Meta RPM, and more: product management internship & full-time application dates

• 5 AI prompts to level-up product strategy, executive presence, and execution speed

• The stories that got me hired as a PM involved 0 technical skills

• how to prepare for AI product manager interviews, part 1: product sense

If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s what you missed:

• Figma panel highlights: Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI with speakers from OpenAI, YouTube, Apple, Figma, Microsoft

• How I became a senior AI product manager, without AI experience or a CS degree

Read time: 12 minutes

Subscribe now

Update: congratulations to the 80+ students in my Instagram community who got accepted into these programs!

In a world where AI is reshaping every industry, the real edge comes from pairing up-to-date skills with authentic relationships. Campus leader programs are one of the best-kept secrets for students: they offer a front-row seat to how companies actually build and launch products, while giving you a rare chance to build connections with the people behind them. No wonder they can even translate to full-time jobs at that company!

This post covers:

• Application timelines for campus leader programs at top tech companies

• Why campus ambassador programs help you stand out on your resume and interviews — and sample bullet points you can add to your resume

• What campus leaders are doing now

• Application tips from past campus leaders and strategists for Perplexity, Claude, Figma, and more

Image from Open AI GTM team

Campus leader programs at top tech companies

Note: applications often close early. Please click the links below to see the most up to date info directly from the program website. Congratulations to members of my Instagram community who have already been accepted!

1. ChatGPT/OpenAI campus ambassador program (CSU) — deadline 8/15

2. Perplexity campus strategist — deadline 8/15

3. Figma campus leader — deadline 8/10. Detailed tips from past campus leaders.

4. Partiful campus leader — deadline not specified

5. Adobe student ambassador program — deadline 7/31

6. Anthropic/Claude Campus Ambassador (for all students) — started sending acceptances

7. Anthropic/Claude Builder Club (technical track) — started sending acceptances

8. Notion campus leader (available in 40+ countries!) — closed

9. GitHub campus expert — opens in August

10. DoorDash campus launcher

11. MATLAB student ambassador

12. Intuit + Credit Karma campus ambassador

13. GivePulse ambassador program

14. Postman campus leader program

15. Samsung campus ambassador program

16. Microsoft student ambassador

17. ChatGPT Lab for students — deadline 9/21

Share

What do campus leaders do?

Claude campus leader, Marcus:

• Hackathons: We sponsored AI Hackathon by Cal Hacks, the org running the world’s largest collegiate Hackathon. Had 1400+ hackers with 40% of builds using Claude!

Perplexity campus strategist, Trivi:

• Organize events: If you ask for a budget for an idea, they’ll give it if it’s good. This includes everything from buying people boba to flying an airplane over a stadium.

• Attend exclusive webinars with Perplexity staff. We even had one with co-founder Denis Yarats. No transcripts, no recordings.

• Get clubs and professors to partner with you. Last semester, this was done through a form for Perplexity for Educators. Applicants were tracked through the “referral” section of that form.

• Work under a Regional Lead who’s usually a former successful senior strategist. Most queries go to them, but occasionally you’ll be interfacing with the head of the program (someone on the growth team) if speed or high budgets are needed

• Meet monthly targets, which are usually incentivized through gift cards, swag, etc. Best overall activation (pretty subjective, based on a lot of criteria such as views, impact, signups, innovativeness) was rewarded with SF HQ trip.

Figma campus leader, Xenia:

• FigBuild: A multi-campus 8+ university hackathon where I designed assets and branding seen by thousands of students

• Panels: Yuhki Yamashita (Figma CPO), Jenny Wen (Figma Director of Design)

• Creative campus events: For Arcade Takeover, we rented an arcade, gave coins to play machines, a QR code maze with Figma related riddles for prizes

• Check out additional events that Figma campus leaders have hosted! Examples:

  • Waterloo

  • Parsons

  • University of Washington

  • Brown + RISD

  • Berkeley

  • and many more!

Share

Why campus ambassador programs help you stand out on your resume and interviews

I’ve interviewed many students for software engineering and product management roles, and this experience really stands out on resumes and interviews because you demonstrate skills that are useful for ANY job:

• Brand partnership credibility: A major brand hand-picked you and trusted you to build community engagement, drive brand awareness, and represent their brand on campus. This shows you have the judgment, communication skills, and professionalism that a respected company would stake their reputation on

• Real-world impact: You directly influenced a major company's product roadmap

• Cross-functional collaboration - You worked directly with marketing, growth, product, and eng teams at the company, while managing campus relationships

And your impact is easy quantifiable in terms of:

• Event attendance

• Product adoption

• Product usage

Resume template examples

• “Drove 40% increase in Figma adoption across 8 universities through a multi-campus Hackathon with 2,500 participants.”

• “Contributed to $50,000 ARR by partnering with [company]'s enterprise sales team to identify 10 student organizations likely to upgrade from free to paid plans, and leading 10 workshops that showcase the capabilities available in paid plans.”

• “Led 50 user interviews with students and professors and presented key takeaways to the company's product and engineering leadership, influencing 2 education-focused features for their Q2 roadmap.”

Share

What past campus leaders are doing now:

• Isis was a campus strategist for Perplexity at UChicago. Now, she works on special projects at Perplexity.

• Marcus was a campus leader for Claude at UC Berkeley. Now, he works as a VC fellow at SJF Ventures.

Application tips & FAQs

Thank you to Marcus (Claude campus leader from Berkeley), Xenia (Figma campus leader from UW), Isis (Perplexity campus strategist from UChicago), Trivi (Perplexity campus strategist from Penn State), and other wonderful campus leaders in my Instagram community for sharing these tips!

What’s your best tip?

Show how you’re already living the day-to-day life of a campus leader.

Common mistakes to avoid?

From the perspective of someone who reviews applications: sometimes, we see applicants list 100 activities and worry that they will not have the time to participate in the program.

What experiences did you highlight on your application?

I focused on my leadership in design, tech, and community building, how I actively showed up in those spaces at my university.

My approach: I listed each role with a brief description of what I achieved, showing how I was already living the day-to-day of a Campus Leader.

Event Leadership & Community Building

• Hosting tech/design events and workshops

• Campus ambassador roles for other companies

• Leading non-profits or tech-for-good initiatives

• Speaking on panels at tech club events

• Mentoring younger students in design and tech

• TA (Teaching Assistant) roles in a relevant courses

• Mentoring at 10+ hackathons or hosting school wide hackathons

• Promoting events on campus

Share

What do you wish you emphasized more on your application?

I wish I emphasized operational skills:

• Booking campus rooms and coordinating logistics

• Building relationships with students, profs, and university departments

• End-to-end event planning (from concept to execution)

• Collaborating with partner clubs, departments, or hackathon teams

• Budget management and vendor coordination

If there’s an application video, how do you stand out?

Make it count.

Thousands of people apply. What stands out is extra effort—cinematic videos, thoughtful editing, or authentic storytelling.

• A well-crafted, edited video shows authenticity

• If you can’t edit professionally, focus on great storytelling

• Show your creative, personable, and professional self

Being authentic shows the team that you can be trusted and committed to best representing the brand.

See the full list of Figma-specific tips here.

What if you’re not a pro at Figma/Claude/Notion/etc?

Emphasize that you know what students want to learn, since we often organize workshops for beginners and we want to reach students from a variety of backgrounds.

Subscribe now

Check out additional resources:

• Figma panel highlights: Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI with speakers from OpenAI, YouTube, Apple, Figma, Microsoft

• Perplexity Associate Product Manager program

• Product management internship & full-time application dates (Google APM, Meta RPM, and more)

• How I became a senior AI product manager, without AI experience or a CS degree

• Product sense case interview answers: a detailed ChatGPT/Claude prompt

• How to prepare for AI product manager interviews, part 1: product sense

If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s what you missed:

• Questions to ask at the end of an interview to figure out what’s *really* going on

• How I got real AI product experience without changing jobs

• 5 AI prompts to level-up product strategy, executive presence, and execution speed

• The stories that got me hired as a PM involved 0 technical skills

• “What’s the #1 skill you wish you practiced earlier in your career?” 3 skills I’m practicing as a mid-career product manager

Read time: 12 minutes

Subscribe now

“What aspects of your workflow do you want to keep fully human?”

“What skills will matter most in the next 5 years—not just for staying employable, but for staying proud of your work?”

These were some of the thoughtful questions from Figma’s “Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI” event.

Enjoy these highlights from the panel! (Note: Because the event wasn't recorded, I'm sharing my full notes for the sections where I was speaking, while summarizing what stuck with me most from my fellow panelists.)

About the speakers:

Brian Cho (@cho_co_pie) is a designer specializing in UX design, art direction, and brand identity, with previous experience at Apple and currently at YouTube / Google. Outside of his full time role, he shares practical design education on social media, breaking down complex concepts for aspiring designers while showcasing personal projects inspired by the intersection of tech and his love for Japanese and Swiss design principles.

Jakub Zegzulka (@jakubzegzulka) is a Czech designer and student excited about the future of technology. He loves combining sci-fi ideas with high fidelity visualization and interactive prototyping. Since moving to the US three years ago, he’s worked at Apple, Meta, and now spending summer at OpenAI.

Sophia Sun is a product manager building agentic creation in Copilot. She started her career as an augmented reality researcher and has since worked on AR/VR collaboration tools for healthcare workers, edtech, creator monetization, and content creation tools. On Substack, she shares ideas for designing a fulfilling career, building great products, and connecting with your creativity.

Steph Zhou (@designmoresteph) is a product designer and founder of @designmoresteph, a design and creative studio dedicated to crafting thoughtful, socially responsible design solutions for the tech world. Her work spans impactful collaborations with brands like Figma, Adobe, Notion, Framer, and Hauste.

Moderated by Joanna Chen. Organized by Steph Zhou, Joanna Chen, and Alex Fagundez.

Part 1: AI & Craft

How has AI changed the way you prototype, iterate, or explore ideas?

Sophia:

I get stakeholder sign-off faster by giving my teammates concrete ideas to react to, so they don't always need to start from scratch.

Example: Iterating on product copy

What I do:

1. Go to Copilot/Claude/ChatGPT

2. Share comprehensive context—what's the goal of the feature, what action I want the user to take when they see this copy, what competitors do, requirements for aligning with other teams, guidance from legal

3. Share examples (n-shot prompting) of what I like vs. dislike, and why

4. Ask the LLM to generate 10 options and explain the pros and cons of each

5. I pick the 5 strongest examples to share with my content design teammate

Outcome: Usually, the content designer gets back to me within an hour. And most of the time, they pick from one of the options I provided.

Why this works:

• Because they have context for the options I've considered and why I like/dislike each, it minimizes back-and-forth questions

• Because AI helps us generate a variety of options, we focus our time on higher-level strategic decisions about tone and brand alignment

The result is that we arrive at better outcomes faster, and both of us feel like we're using our time on the parts of the work that actually require human judgment and creativity!

Share

What aspects of your workflow do you want to keep fully human?

Jakub:

It's tempting to fall back to AI when we feel like there is a painful task in front of us. And I would really encourage you to go through the pain.

Example: early ideation and brainstorming.

It's tempting to just ask AI, “Hey, I have this problem. What are 10 great ideas?” When we use AI like this, we might think that we’re making the decisions, but because we started with AI in the very first step, we’re getting biased and not truly using the designer’s brain.

Also, I don’t outsource defining the purpose of what I create. We should define and guide that, instead of giving the system control over that.

Brian:

Designers are storytellers who tell stories that people can feel. And creating the right feeling is hard to outsource.

And like Jakub said, having vision and taste is very important. You cultivate taste by experiencing a lot of cultural things, diving into cultural nuances, exploring a wide range of designs, and surrounding yourself with people who also care to explore a wide range of designs. And throughout this exploration, ask yourself what resonates with you, and why.

Subscribe now

AI can accelerate output, but how do you preserve intentionality and quality when working quickly?

Sophia:

AI can help you generate endless variations of designs and copy, but at the end of the day, you might feel even more overwhelmed about picking which option to go with.

What I do to balance intentionality, quality, and speed is creating principles that are opinionated, context-specific, and empower the team to cut what’s less important. Principles also make decision-making scalable and autonomous across the team.

2 ways I operationalize this:

1. If we’re stuck between options and people have voiced their opinions, I’ll say “let’s pick option A because it best optimizes for principle X.”

2. As we get farther into the project and decisions evolve, I‘ll say, “It seems like we’re leaning towards option A because we value X over Y. Moving forward, do we feel good about generally prioritizing X over Y, and making X a principle?”

Subscribe now

Part 2: Content creation

Brian, you’re known for your standout motion design and visually captivating content. How long does it typically take you to make one of your videos—and in a world where “quantity over quality” often dominates content strategy, how do you decide what’s worth the extra time and craft?

Brian:

My goal of starting content creation was to bring my imagination to life, which is why I value quality over quantity. Some of my videos take hours, some take days.

Another thing to consider is sustainability. What’s the point of getting getting 1 million followers, but then burning out and losing your love for design?

Sophia, your content stands out for being thoughtful, clear, and incredibly relatable—especially as you share what it's like to navigate life as a product manager. What’s your typical workflow when creating content, and do you find any overlap with how you approach your work as a PM?

Sophia:

My workflow is inspired by the challenges I experience at work that day!

• Whenever I face a challenge, I ask myself: What story do I want to tell about the way I navigated this challenge?

• After I overcome a challenge, I ask myself: How can I synthesize my process in a way that’s generalizable to others?

Steph, your design memes are hilarious, and you bring such a refreshing sense of humor and play to your work! Are there any routines or habits that help you tap into that playful mindset? And how has infusing humor into your design work shaped your career or community?

Steph:

As a product design educator at Figma, my goal is to make learning Figma fun and approachable. I never want someone to be afraid to ask questions. Humor and playfulness are my favorite ways to convey that approachability and connect with folks in the design community.

I used to post every 4-5 weeks, and I wanted to post consistently for 1 month. Because I use Notion for everything, I created a Notion database to jot down ideas whenever they pop up. And at the end of the week, I had a bunch of ideas to pick from!

Jakub, your clean, elegant design work has gone viral more than once, especially on Twitter. What inspired you to start posting your work publicly? And what’s one unexpected or exciting opportunity that’s come from putting your designs out there?

Jakub:

When I started my design career at 15, posting my work got me my first internships and invitations to conferences and hackathons.

But when I moved to the States, I felt a bit of imposter syndrome and stopped posting.

One day, I finished my portfolio, and I shared it on my close friends story on Instagram. But my friends encouraged me to post it on LinkedIn. So I did, and that’s actually what got me my job at Apple, which was so unexpected!

But then I got imposter syndrome again after working at Apple, because everyone there is incredible. Again, my friends encouraged me to post on X, and 2 posts got me from 1000 followers to 5000 followers in 2 days. And again, it felt really random, I wasn’t expecting it at all!

So it’s really important to be sharing your work — you never know who will see it, and what opportunities will come from it.

Subscribe now

Part 3: Career

What are students or early-career designers getting right—and wrong—about learning design in the age of AI? If you could give one piece of advice to students trying to build a portfolio in an AI-enhanced design world, what would it be?

Jakub:

I don't think design is a good space for people who are not passionate. If you don’t truly love it, then you won’t be excited to continually refine your craft.

When it comes to portfolios, I think people worry too much about what the industry considers the “right way” of doing things. Follow your own process and document that. Don't try to fit into a specific bubble.

Brian:

When reviewing portfolios at Apple, we didn’t necessarily hire people who have Apple aesthetics. That’s something we already do well, so why would we hire people who are only good at what we’re already good at?

We try to hire people who have unique taste and perspective. That's something that a lot of companies are looking for, especially nowadays, when AI tools enable many designers to be semi-good.

Subscribe now

What skills will matter most in the next 5 years—not just for staying employable, but for staying proud of your work?

Sophia:

Creating a work culture that lets my teammates do their best work.

For me, staying proud of my work isn't just about what my team creates, or the impact we have. It's also how empowered my team feels throughout the process. I feel proudest when my teammates have a deep sense of ownership and purpose, when they have enough clarity and focus time to stay in flow state, and when they feel enough psychological safety to ask the hard questions that help us all do better.

Creating this environment means resolving conflicts quickly, listening carefully, noticing my colleagues' strengths, and encouraging them to keep doing what they do well.

In an AI-accelerated world where everyone can produce more, faster, the teams that thrive will be the ones where people actually want to bring their best thinking to work.

Thinking clearly is fundamental and irreplaceable.

Building on what Jakub said about not outsourcing the core thinking and first principles: there's something powerful and irreplaceable about the conviction that comes from the aggregate of all your conversations with users, and all your experiences using products.

And being able to think clearly without AI is also just a practical requirement for working on fast-paced teams. Sure, you can use AI to refine your product decisions, but you often need to make decisions in the middle of meetings with all eyes on you, so you still need to rely on your own product instinct.

Being curious and having follow-through to apply that curiosity.

Many AI leaders—Mike Krieger (Head of Product, Anthropic), Tobias Lütke (CEO, Shopify), and Ben Mann (Co-founder, Anthropic)—have cited curiosity as the most important quality.

It takes curiosity to ask "what could be better?" and "why don’t people use my product the way I expect?" And it takes curiosity to care enough to apply those insights to your work.

AI can help you execute on insights, but it can't manufacture the drive to keep digging deeper into what makes something truly great.

Cultivating taste and creative instinct beyond your own discipline.

As I've grown in my career, I'm responsible for bigger launches and have more opportunities to shape the end-to-end product experience. This means I need an eye for what's good and what makes it good. I also need to rally the team around that high bar.

I can ask AI to help me iterate on something a hundred times, but at some point I need to decide: Is this good enough? And if I want to keep iterating, what exactly am I looking for? That judgment call—knowing when something crosses the threshold from decent to delightful—is still deeply human.

Having the courage to put yourself out there and be seen trying.

We talked about the opportunities that come from content creation, and in a world where content is getting easier to create, the differentiator is your story and distinct personality. Sure, AI closes the gap between idea and output. But success still requires the willingness to put your name on your work and risk judgement and disagreement.

To succeed in anything meaningful, you will still need the courage to risk failure. That hasn't changed, and I don't think it will.

Share

If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s what you missed:

• Perplexity Associate Product Manager program

• Product management internship & full-time application dates (Google APM, Meta RPM, and more)

• How I became a senior AI product manager, without AI experience or a CS degree

• Product sense case interview answers: a detailed ChatGPT/Claude prompt

• How to prepare for AI product manager interviews, part 1: product sense

Read time: 5 minutes

Subscribe now

Figma campus leader program

Figma Campus Leaders are community members who believe deeply in Figma’s mission to make design and product building accessible to all.

As a Campus Leader, you’ll work closely with the Figma for Education team to promote and grow the design and tech community at your school. Whether you’re hosting events, leading workshops, or helping classmates discover Figma for the first time, you’ll play a key role in building creative spaces where students can learn, collaborate, and thrive.

Applications close on 8/9. Program information.

Tips for the application

From Xenia Capcan (@xeniacapcan), Figma Campus Leader for University of Washington:

1. Let your personality shine. Being a campus leader (CL) really means having fun with our events, partners and students so when applying, you wanna show what your interests are no matter how silly or niche! They definitely wanna see your unique personality and you wanna be memorable not only in the whole CL pod but also to students. (I think one of campus leads filmed their application while riding on a bike?) Being authentic shows the Figma team that you can be trusted and committed to “being Figma’s #1 fan,” which is my favorite tagline that I could officially put on my resume since becoming a campus lead.

2. You don’t have to be a Figma pro, but be excited to learn new stuff! In fact, it can sometimes be even better if you know what students want to learn as we often put workshops for beginners. We don’t only delve into design, but we collaborate with developers, marketers, and more students from different backgrounds so you wanna highlight in your application practical ideas on how to spread Figma spirit to different parts of your campus.

3. Your leadership and organizational experiences are most valuable to being a campus leader. Knowing how to recruit speakers, organize logistics such as booking rooms and vendors, collaborating with local businesses, creating timelines for events and workshop series, these skills are what really come in handy. If you have these skills on your resume, make sure to highlight them loud and proud as it is one of the most essential parts of this role. If you don’t necessarily have bullet points to show this, some helpful things you can highlight can be: any clubs/extracurriculars you’re already involved in that can collab with Figma, knowing the best rooms around campus for good vibes (surprisingly really important), any event or social media promo ideas that you already have or have done in the past. Again, this role doesn’t come with any prerequisites so your willingness to be committed and have fun with it is what matters the most!

Learn more about Xenia’s experience here.

Share

• Check out events that Figma campus leaders have hosted! Examples:

  • Waterloo

  • Parsons

  • University of Washington

  • Brown + RISD

  • Berkeley

  • and many more!

Why this program helps you stand out on your resume and in interviews

I’ve interviewed tons of students before, and this experience really stands out on resumes and interviews because you demonstrate skills that are useful for ANY job:

• Real-world impact - You directly influenced a major company's product roadmap

• Brand partnership credibility - A major product company like Figma selected and trusted you to build community engagement, drive brand awareness, and represent their brand on campus. This shows you have the judgment, communication skills, and professionalism that a respected company would stake their reputation on

• Cross-functional collaboration - You worked directly with professional teams at Figma while managing campus relationships

And your impact is easy quantifiable in terms of:

• Event attendance

• Figma adoption

• Figma usage

Benefits of the program

Figma mixer: Celebrating Craft in the Age of AI with panelists from OpenAI, Figma, YouTube, and Microsoft

Benefits of the Figma campus leader program:

• Exclusive events and workshops

• Complimentary ticket to Config, Figma’s annual conference

• Opportunity to work directly with the Figma for Education team to host events, lead workshops, and grow the design community on your campus

• Opportunity to directly influence Figma’s product roadmap by providing feedback to the Figma team

• Opportunity to meet other ambitious, well-connected, driven students who are also building impressive careers and networks. These relationships often become invaluable professional connections, collaborators on future projects, or even co-founders. You're joining a curated community of high-achievers who are all motivated enough to take on additional leadership responsibilities.

  Share

💎 Welcome to work smarter, my newsletter on building your career and designing your life. I share templates and guides to help you get offers you’re excited about :)

If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s what you missed:

• Product management internship & full-time application dates (Google APM, Meta RPM, and more)

• How I became a senior AI product manager, without AI experience or a CS degree

• Product sense case interview answers: a detailed ChatGPT/Claude prompt

• How to prepare for AI product manager interviews, part 1: product sense

Read time: 4 minutes

Subscribe now

Perplexity Associate Product Manager program

Each Perplexity APM works directly with a Perplexity cofounder—typically the CTO or Chief Strategy Officer.

I can’t imagine a more incredible way to start your career.

Program description

Application link

Note: One way to build relationships with the Perplexity team is to apply for their campus strategist program. Application tips here.

FAQs:

• Application requirement: In 400 words or fewer, answer the question: “How do you meet the program criteria?”

  • Perplexity APMs are individuals who have accomplished remarkable things, want to immerse themselves fully in AI product development at global scale, and possess an unrivaled work ethic. We're looking for:

  • Individuals with exceptional talent that defies convention, whether proven in AI, physics, poker, or any other field—traditional and unconventional backgrounds welcome.

  • Self-starters who set high standards, work relentlessly, and approach challenges with creativity.

  • Insatiable curiosity and a tinkerer’s spirit.

  • Natural AI power users who grasp the latest tools, use them to amplify their own strengths, and inspire those around them.

  • Excellent writers, communicators, planners, and analytical thinkers who can define problems and deliver clarity.

  • People who can hold their own with top engineers—not necessarily coding daily, but with strong technical understanding and a keen sense for complexity and tradeoffs.

  • Team players who go where needed most—no task is too small if it helps colleagues or users.

  • Leaders who bring relentless enthusiasm, support their teammates, and lead with humility—never ego.

• Resumes are not considered: “We do not require or accept resumes; your written response should include all relevant background information.”

• References (optional): Include a verification reference only if your major accomplishments are not readily verifiable from the internet.

• Co-founder mentorship: Each APM receives direct mentorship from a Perplexity cofounder—typically the CTO or Chief Strategy Officer. You’ll be assigned a portfolio they care deeply about, collaborate with product teams, and get 1:1 guidance in a fast-paced environment. Working alongside cofounders, you’ll learn how Perplexity navigates rapid market changes, makes big bets, and ships better and faster than much larger teams.

• Timeline: Apply now through August 22, 2025. Successful candidates will start on a mutually-agreed upon date between August and December 2025.

• Visa support: Perplexity provides immigration and visa sponsorship support based on individual circumstances.

• Compensation: The cash compensation for this role is $210,000 per year. In addition to the base salary, equity is part of the total compensation package.

  Share

💎 Welcome to work smarter, my newsletter on building your career and designing your life. I’ve interviewed 100+ candidates and received offers from Google, Meta, Snap, and Microsoft, and I share templates and guides to help you get offers you’re excited about :)

If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s what you missed:

• Product management internship & full-time application dates (Google APM, Meta RPM, and more)

• Product sense case interview answers: a detailed ChatGPT/Claude prompt

• How to prepare for AI product manager interviews, part 2: behavioral interviews

• How to build projects without coding

Read time: 5 minutes

Subscribe now

Pinterest Apprenticeship links

Apprentice product manager link

Apprentice product designer link

Apprentice product researcher link

Interviewing at Pinterest: Advice from Apprentice Alumni link

Getting your resume apprenticeship-ready link

Meet the Pinterest Products Apprenticeship Cohort link

How I broke into tech without a Computer Science degree

When I started applying to product management roles, my resume looked nothing like a traditionally successful resume. While other candidates all had computer science degrees and engineering internships, I had music and student government.

But it was these exact experiences — experiences that involved 0 technical skills — that helped me showcase skills that hiring managers look for.

Now, after interviewing 100+ candidates and doing 100+ product management interviews myself, I’m even more confident that your unconventional path isn't a weakness to overcome. It's a story waiting to be told well.

So here’s how to stop apologizing for your passions and start leveraging them. I’ll start with 3 examples, then break down why they work and how you can replicate my results.

#1 tip: highlight transferrable skills. Here’s how!

Here’s a list of 10 transferable skills you should highlight.

How to use this list: For each of the job experiences you’ve had, go through this list and think about when you may have used these skills:

1. Stakeholder management (balancing different needs)

2. Data-driven decision making (using evidence to choose direction)

3. Crisis management (adapting when plans fall apart)

4. Influence without authority (getting results through others)

5. Resource allocation (maximizing impact with constrained time/budget/people)

6. User research and validation (understanding what people actually need vs. what they say they want)

7. Cross-functional collaboration and communication (coordinating across different teams/disciplines)

8. Risk assessment and mitigation (identifying what could go wrong and planning accordingly)

9. Consensus building (getting alignment across diverse viewpoints)

10. User empathy (understanding pain points and motivations)

Now, I’ll share 3 real interview answers I’ve given, that have nothing to do with tech, but still highlight these transferable skills.

Example 1: How I resolved a critical conflict as the music director of my a cappella group

Situation

While leading our 15-person a cappella group, I faced a critical conflict between our lead soloist and vocal arranger over our competition piece. The arranger had created complex jazz harmonies that was challenging for our soloist.

What was at stake?

With just 6 weeks until the competition, this conflict threatened to derail our performance. Our star soloist was considering stepping down, which would have meant restarting arrangement work and potentially missing competition deadlines.

Action

1. I had a 1:1 conversation with both parties to understand their artistic visions and constraints. I discovered that the arranger wanted to showcase our group's technical abilities while the soloist was concerned about authenticity.

2. I organized a workshop where we recorded both versions and collected feedback from the entire group using a structured evaluation framework

3. I facilitated a mediation session where we identified specific sections for compromise. Specifically, we kept complex harmonies in verses, but simplified the chorus to highlight the soloist's strengths.

Result

1. Both parties felt their contributions were valued.

2. Our a cappella group dynamic strengthened, because we had an established process for handling creative differences.

3. This creative process continues to be used by the group, even after all group members have graduated.

Transferrable skills

• Balance competing stakeholder needs while maintaining project momentum

• Use data (recordings, feedback) to make objective decisions

• Create structured processes for resolving creative differences

• Find win-win solutions that serve both individual and group needs.

These skills directly translate to product management, where I'll need to balance engineering constraints with user needs and business goals.

Example 2: How I created a new academic policy at my college that passed with 90% approval rating

Situation

As VP of Academic Affairs for my university’s student government, I led a initiative to reform our pass/fail policy. Students wanted more flexibility, professors worried about academic rigor, and administrators needed to maintain accreditation standards.

Stakes

This was students’ top complaint for 2 semesters in a row. Furthermore, the existing policy was causing dropping enrollment in challenging electives. However, we needed to design a solution carefully, because hasty changes could damage our university's academic reputation and accreditation status, and set bad precedents for future policies.

Action

1. I conducted a comprehensive research study, including student surveys (X% of student body), faculty interviews (20+), and analysis of peer institutions' policies

2. I created a data visualization dashboard showing the impact of current policy on course selection patterns and student outcomes

3. I developed a tiered proposal allowing pass/fail for up to 2 non-major courses per year, with GPA minimums and advisor approval requirements

Result

• Policy approved by X% of faculty senate and student government

• X% increase in students taking courses outside their major the following semester

• Featured as a case study in inter-university policy forum

Transferrable skills

This experience developed crucial PM skills:

• Gathering and synthesizing requirements from diverse stakeholders

• Using data to drive decision-making and build consensus

• Creating scalable solutions that balance flexibility with standards

• Managing complex approval processes with multiple stakeholders

Example 3: How I managed a crisis during a fundraiser gala

Situation

As the president of my club, I led planning for our annual "Future Leaders Summit" - a 200-person fundraiser and speaker event featuring 3 tech executives. 3 hours before the event, our keynote speaker had a family emergency and couldn't attend. This would be very disappointing to our attendees, who paid $50 each to hear her speak.

Stakes

• $10,000 in ticket revenue at risk if attendees demanded refunds

• Club's reputation with both students and industry professionals at stake

• Risk of losing corporate sponsorships for future events

• 200 attendees already en route to the venue

Action

1. Rapid response (first 30 minutes):

   • Quickly assembled core team of 5 officers

   • Had our marketing lead draft transparent communication to attendees

   • Created decision matrix to evaluate possible solutions (full refunds vs. partial refunds vs. alternative speaker)

2. Creative solution (next hour):

   • Leveraged our alumni network through LinkedIn messages and calls

   • Found a recent graduate who had just launched a successful startup who was local

   • Worked with our tech team to set up hybrid format so our original speaker could still do a brief virtual introduction

3. Experience enhancement (Final hour):

   • Restructured event flow to include more networking time

   • Added a panel discussion with other speakers to provide more interactive content

Result

• 95% attendee retention with only 10 refund requests

• Received positive feedback about the last-minute speaker (4.5/5 rating) and restructured event flow (4.4/5 rating)

• Alumni speaker was so successful we invited her to join our advisory board

Transferrable skills

This experience taught me crucial PM skills:

• Crisis management and rapid decision-making

• Stakeholder communication during uncertainty

• Resource reallocation under pressure

• Importance of strong professional networks

Most importantly, I learned that sometimes a crisis can lead to innovation - our hybrid format and enhanced networking sessions became standard features of future events. This translates directly to product management where dealing with unexpected technical issues, shifting market conditions, or resource constraints requires similar quick thinking and stakeholder management.

I’m on a mission to help more people design careers they’re happy with!

If this resonated with you:

• Share this post with someone who feels behind because they didn't follow the "traditional" path

• Share this post with a friend who's amazing at what they do but terrible at talking about it in interviews

• Share this post with someone who needs permission to see their unique background as a strength

Share

Questions I’ll cover:

“What kinds of skills and experiences do I need to become an AI product manager?”

“How do I get hands-on AI experience if my company doesn’t work on AI, and there’s no one around me to learn from?”

The tough reality is, without hands-on AI experience — whether that’s through production-level personal projects or through launching AI products at a company — it’s hard to get past the resume round.

I created this guide because I know how it feels to be willing to put in the work, but not have the resources or not know where to start.

So here’s:

• how I designed my own project to get hands-on AI experience

• the skills I wanted to build and talk about in future interviews

• how I did gained those skills

Context:

I joined a creator economy startup as a senior product manager and was immediately asked to tackle a difficult challenge: salvage a product that had dragged on for 1 year without launching. The project had been stuck in engineering development, consuming resources without delivering value to users or the business.

The original intention was to build a video editor that helped users edit videos just like they edit text: it transcribed the video so that users could delete and rearrange sections of a video the same way they would edit a paragraph.

Some issues with the original product:

• Didn’t solve the most pressing problems for our users

• Wasn’t a strategic investment for our company; even if this product exceeded all our target metrics, it wouldn’t impact the company’s business significantly

What I pitched:

• A complete pivot to a content repurposing tool that analyzed the content of the user's long-form course videos, and repurposed that content into 40+ different types of content for their end-to-end marketing funnel, e.g., TikTok videos, blog posts, newsletter posts, LinkedIn posts, landing pages, discussion questions to engage their community, and more.

Subscribe now

Skill #1: Prompt engineering

Each type of content required a different prompt engineering approach. I worked with my engineering team to build an internal tool that allowed me to tweak different dimensions and test prompts quickly. Also, to reduce API costs and handle scenarios where the original content was long and exceeded the model’s context window, I wrote a prompt to first summarize the original content in a way that preserved critical details for subsequent repurposing.

This gave me hands-on experience with:

• Creating base prompts for different content types (social media, long-form articles, video scripts)

• Designing objective evaluation criteria to measure prompt effectiveness

• Iterating based on real user feedback and output quality

• Building guardrails to ensure brand voice consistency across all generated content

Skill #2: AI models strategy

Models differ significantly in their strengths, price, and latency.

Through this process, I learned how to:

• Evaluate various models for different content types

• Balance cost, performance, and reliability when selecting models

• Implement a multi-model approach where certain tasks were routed to specialized models

• Create fallback systems when primary models failed to produce adequate results

Skill #3: AI partnerships / business development / corporate development

We were a startup and couldn't build everything ourselves, so I searched for companies we could partner with (or even acquire). I reached out to founders on LinkedIn and did due diligence on 10+ startups. I created a framework to compare them as objectively as possible, and we ended up choosing to partner with 2 companies.

I created myself opportunities to:

• Develop evaluation criteria for potential partners (technical capabilities, API reliability, pricing models, roadmap alignment)

• Negotiate partnership terms beyond product/eng benefits

• Integrate external services seamlessly into our product

• Create contingency plans for partner relationship management

Subscribe now

Skill #4: Monetization / pricing & packaging

This product was a first for the company in many ways:

• 1st add-on in its 13-year history

• 1st AI product

• 1st product that relied on several external partnerships

Thus, we faced several challenges:

• Set new customer expectations that not everything would be included in the monthly subscription

• Lock the pricing and packaging with no historical data about usage patterns

• Build the underlying monetization technical infrastructure to support add-on billing

• Set the precedent for future add-on products

I built several financial models and ran a beta community to estimate projected costs. This approach helped me develop pricing tiers based on actual usage patterns from our beta users and create clear value propositions for each tier that justified the additional cost.

Ultimately, our pricing model was 2 tiers of add-ons:

• Tier 1: $19/month to repurpose any 4 videos into unlimited pieces of content

• Tier 2: $29/month to repurpose any 30 videos into unlimited pieces of content

I’ll create a separate post dedicated to how we arrived at this pricing model.

Skills I gained:

• Design pricing models that balanced profitability with customer value

• Run a beta community

• Implement usage monitoring and cost prediction systems

• Create transparent billing practices that built trust with users

Share

Skill #5: Refining the UX of AI

I did extensive competitive analysis of AI products across different modalities — video, image, text, chat, etc.

Skill #6: Go-to-market

My product marketing colleague was busy, so I saw an opportunity to practice my product marketing skills. I drafted the majority of the marketing content needed for press releases, blog posts, social media announcements, website, and more. This included leveraging one of our partners for co-marketing opportunities.

I also pitched working with top content creators and influencers. I provided talking points, customized scripts, and sample b-roll to make it as easy as possible for them to film content.

Through this experience, I built skills like:

• Crafting compelling AI product narratives

• Developing educational resources to help users understand new AI capabilities

• Building excitement through targeted pre-launch campaigns

• Creating feedback loops to rapidly iterate on messaging based on user response

• Developing scalable systems for responding to user questions and feedback

Skill #7: Model-forward development

One of the most valuable skills I developed was what I call "model-forward development”: the ability to anticipate, evaluate, and seamlessly integrate new AI models as they emerged. This approach was critical in keeping our product competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Anticipating and planning for model evolution

From an engineering perspective, I worked closely with my eng team to build our product architecture with model-agnosticism at its core:

• Designed a modular API layer that abstracted model-specific implementations, allowing us to swap in new models without disrupting the entire system

• Created standardized input/output formats that could accommodate different model response structures

• Implemented A/B testing infrastructure that allowed us to compare different models on the same tasks using real user inputs

From a financial/business model perspective, I built flexibility into our budgeting:

• Negotiated volume-based pricing with providers

• Maintained a financial cushion specifically for testing and implementing new models

• Developed cost projection models that accounted for potential increases in token usage or per-request costs

Here are some tips for applying to research programs.

FAQ #1: How do I brainstorm what experiences to include?

Reflect on these questions to gather material for your statement:

Research interest development:

1. What was your first exposure to this field? Which specific problem or challenge initially captured your attention?

2. How have your interests evolved over time?

3. What unexpected connections have you discovered between different areas of study?

Current knowledge:

4. Which papers, researchers, internships, courses, projects, extracurriculars, and life experiences have influenced your thinking?

5. What current debates or challenges in the field interest you most?

6. What gaps do you see in current research approaches?

Program fit:

7. How will the program's resources help you achieve your goals?

8. What can you contribute to the research community there?

9. How does this program complement your current skills and knowledge?

Future goals:

10. What specific skills or knowledge do you hope to gain?

11. How do you plan to apply what you learn in the future?

12. What impact do you hope to have in your field?

FAQ #2: What are some examples for talking about non-technical experiences?

Here’s how I talked about my non-technical experiences:

1. Leading design thinking workshops with Stanford’s design thinking professors → enables me to bring a systematic approach for translating research into tangible solutions.

2. Taking linguistics and cognitive science courses → sparked several research questions related to AR/VR for education and healthcare.

3. Recovering from dance-related injuries → inspired my interest in VR-facilitated movement therapy.

FAQ #3: What sections should I include in my personal statement if there’s no specific prompt?

Include:

1. Research interests and how you came to be interested in them

2. Previous research experiences

3. Why you want to participate in this program

4. How participating in this program might better prepare you to meet your future goals

Some National Science Foundation internship applications due in February 2025:

• Machine learning at Princeton

• Machine learning, distributed systems, privacy, security at Carnegie Mellon

• AI for computational creativity at Brown

• Control and sensing in autonomous vehicles at Kettering

• Computing for an equitable energy transition at University of Massachusetts Amherst

• USC Information Sciences Institute

• Washington University St. Louis

• University of Washington

💎 Welcome to futureproof, where we unlock doors with the experiences you already have! I’ll help you reframe your experiences into stories that resonate with hiring managers, so you can land opportunities that once felt out of reach.

If you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s what you missed:

• LinkedIn's APB (Associate Product Builder) 2025 program opens 9/2. Here are 3 ways to start preparing today.

• Product sense case interview answers: a detailed ChatGPT/Claude prompt

• How to prepare for AI product manager interviews, part 2: behavioral interviews

• How to build projects without coding

Read time: 10 minutes

Subscribe now

When I started applying to product management roles, my resume looked nothing like a traditionally successful resume. While other candidates all had computer science degrees and engineering internships, I had music and student government.

But it was these exact experiences — experiences that involved 0 technical skills — that helped me showcase skills that hiring managers look for.

Now, after interviewing 100+ candidates and doing 100+ product management interviews myself, I’m even more confident that your unconventional path isn't a weakness to overcome. It's a story waiting to be told well.

So here’s how to stop apologizing for your passions and start leveraging them. I’ll start with 3 examples, then break down why they work and how you can replicate my results.

👉 Duplicate my interview prep template and follow along!

Example 1: How I resolved a critical conflict as the music director of my a cappella group

Situation

While leading our 15-person a cappella group, I faced a critical conflict between our lead soloist and vocal arranger over our competition piece. The arranger had created complex jazz harmonies that was challenging for our soloist.

What was at stake?

With just 6 weeks until the competition, this conflict threatened to derail our performance. Our star soloist was considering stepping down, which would have meant restarting arrangement work and potentially missing competition deadlines.

Action

1. I had a 1:1 conversation with both parties to understand their artistic visions and constraints. I discovered that the arranger wanted to showcase our group's technical abilities while the soloist was concerned about authenticity.

2. I organized a workshop where we recorded both versions and collected feedback from the entire group using a structured evaluation framework

3. I facilitated a mediation session where we identified specific sections for compromise. Specifically, we kept complex harmonies in verses, but simplified the chorus to highlight the soloist's strengths.

Result

1. Both parties felt their contributions were valued.

2. Our a cappella group dynamic strengthened, because we had an established process for handling creative differences.

3. This creative process continues to be used by the group, even after all group members have graduated.

Transferrable skills

• Balance competing stakeholder needs while maintaining project momentum

• Use data (recordings, feedback) to make objective decisions

• Create structured processes for resolving creative differences

• Find win-win solutions that serve both individual and group needs.

These skills directly translate to product management, where I'll need to balance engineering constraints with user needs and business goals.

Example 2: How I created a new academic policy at my college that passed with 90% approval rating

Situation

As VP of Academic Affairs for my university’s student government, I led a initiative to reform our pass/fail policy. Students wanted more flexibility, professors worried about academic rigor, and administrators needed to maintain accreditation standards.

Stakes

This was students’ top complaint for 2 semesters in a row. Furthermore, the existing policy was causing dropping enrollment in challenging electives. However, we needed to design a solution carefully, because hasty changes could damage our university's academic reputation and accreditation status, and set bad precedents for future policies.

Action

1. I conducted a comprehensive research study, including student surveys (X% of student body), faculty interviews (20+), and analysis of peer institutions' policies

2. I created a data visualization dashboard showing the impact of current policy on course selection patterns and student outcomes

3. I developed a tiered proposal allowing pass/fail for up to 2 non-major courses per year, with GPA minimums and advisor approval requirements

Result

• Policy approved by X% of faculty senate and student government

• X% increase in students taking courses outside their major the following semester

• Featured as a case study in inter-university policy forum

Transferrable skills

This experience developed crucial PM skills:

• Gathering and synthesizing requirements from diverse stakeholders

• Using data to drive decision-making and build consensus

• Creating scalable solutions that balance flexibility with standards

• Managing complex approval processes with multiple stakeholders

Example 3: How I managed a crisis during a fundraiser gala

Situation

As the president of my club, I led planning for our annual "Future Leaders Summit" - a 200-person fundraiser and speaker event featuring 3 tech executives. 3 hours before the event, our keynote speaker had a family emergency and couldn't attend. This would be very disappointing to our attendees, who paid $50 each to hear her speak.

Stakes

• $10,000 in ticket revenue at risk if attendees demanded refunds

• Club's reputation with both students and industry professionals at stake

• Risk of losing corporate sponsorships for future events

• 200 attendees already en route to the venue

Action

1. Rapid response (first 30 minutes):

   • Quickly assembled core team of 5 officers

   • Had our marketing lead draft transparent communication to attendees

   • Created decision matrix to evaluate possible solutions (full refunds vs. partial refunds vs. alternative speaker)

2. Creative solution (next hour):

   • Leveraged our alumni network through LinkedIn messages and calls

   • Found a recent graduate who had just launched a successful startup who was local

   • Worked with our tech team to set up hybrid format so our original speaker could still do a brief virtual introduction

3. Experience enhancement (Final hour):

   • Restructured event flow to include more networking time

   • Added a panel discussion with other speakers to provide more interactive content

Result

• 95% attendee retention with only 10 refund requests

• Received positive feedback about the last-minute speaker (4.5/5 rating) and restructured event flow (4.4/5 rating)

• Alumni speaker was so successful we invited her to join our advisory board

Transferrable skills

This experience taught me crucial PM skills:

• Crisis management and rapid decision-making

• Stakeholder communication during uncertainty

• Resource reallocation under pressure

• Importance of strong professional networks

Most importantly, I learned that sometimes a crisis can lead to innovation - our hybrid format and enhanced networking sessions became standard features of future events. This translates directly to product management where dealing with unexpected technical issues, shifting market conditions, or resource constraints requires similar quick thinking and stakeholder management.

Use my Story Archaeology framework

You already have the stories. You just don't see them yet. Here's how to find the leadership moments hiding in plain sight, and replicate my results:

Step 1: Audit the stakes

List every project, role, or situation where something genuinely mattered to you or others. Ask yourself:

• What would have happened if I failed?

• Who else was counting on me?

• What was at risk beyond just my own success?

Step 2: Identify conflicts

Great stories need tension. Scan your experiences for:

• Competing priorities or stakeholder needs

• Resource constraints or tight deadlines

• Disagreements you had to navigate

• Situations when the obvious solution wasn't available

Step 3: Connect experiences to PM skills

For each potential story, ask: "What PM skill does this demonstrate?"

Examples:

1. Stakeholder management (balancing different needs)

2. Data-driven decision making (using evidence to choose direction)

3. Crisis management (adapting when plans fall apart)

4. Influence without authority (getting results through others)

5. Resource allocation (maximizing impact with constrained time/budget/people)

6. User research and validation (understanding what people actually need vs. what they say they want)

7. Cross-functional collaboration and communication (coordinating across different teams/disciplines)

8. Risk assessment and mitigation (identifying what could go wrong and planning accordingly)

9. Consensus building (getting alignment across diverse viewpoints)

10. User empathy (understanding pain points and motivations)

Step 4: Quantify the stakes

Quantifying the stakes paints a vivid picture of why the problem was worth solving.

Examples of quantifying the stakes, from the 3 stories I shared above:

• Timeline pressure: "6 weeks until competition," "3 hours before event," "2 semesters of student complaints"

• Financial impact: "$10K in ticket revenue at risk," "paid $50 each to hear her speak"

• People affected: "15-person group," "200 attendees," "20% of student body surveyed"

• Reputation risk: "star soloist considering stepping down," "club's reputation with industry professionals at stake," "accreditation standards"

• Cascading consequences: "restarting arrangement work," "missing competition deadlines," "losing corporate sponsorships for future events"

Step 5: Quantify the results

Quantifying the results conveys the impact of your involvement.

Examples of quantifying the results, from the 3 stories I shared above:

• Participation/approval metrics: "90% faculty senate approval," "95% attendee retention," "only 10 refund requests"

• Behavioral changes: "20% increase in students taking courses outside their major," "group dynamic strengthened"

• Feedback scores: "4.5/5 rating for speaker," "4.4/5 rating for event flow"

• Long-term adoption: "process continues to be used after all members graduated," "hybrid format became standard for future events"

• Recognition/expansion: "featured as case study in inter-university policy forum," "alumni speaker joined advisory board"

• Sustained impact: "both parties felt their contributions were valued," "established process for handling creative differences"

The Golden Question

"What situation from my past required me to think like a product manager before I knew what product management was?"

That's your story. All your experiences are proof that you can handle the messy, human side of building products.

What’s an experience you’re inspired to talk about your next interview?

Leave a comment

I’m on a mission to help more people design careers they’re happy with!

If this resonated with you:

• Share this post with someone who feels behind because they didn't follow the "traditional" path

• Share this post with a friend who's amazing at what they do but terrible at talking about it in interviews

• Share this post with someone who needs permission to see their unique background as a strength

Share

Feature name

Key contacts & dates

• PM

• Eng

• UX

• PMM

• Status: <PRD draft>

• Experiment start date

• Experiment end date

• Target 100% rollout date

Key links

• Design

• Prototype

• GTM plan

• Experiment ID

• Data dashboard

[GIF / screenshot]

Vision

PRFAQ: What’s the ideal headline about this launch?

What are we building?

Describe the key capabilities of this feature.

Who is it for?

Who is the target persona?

Why are we building it?

What problems does it solve? What does user and market research show?

“As a <user>, I want to … so that I can …”

Why now?

What’s the strategic value of building this now, rather than later? Is this critical, foundational component that unlocks other important initiatives?

Subscribe now

How are we measuring success?

What key metric are we hoping to change? How will this impact the key metric? Why are we confident that this will impact the key metric?

Experiment plan:

• Segmentation: Which segment will see the control vs treatment?

  • E.g., User tenure, exclude users in [x] experiment

• Schedule: What’s the rollout schedule? Dates for 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%

• Metric: What key metric are we measuring?

• Experiment ID

Results:

• Results date or expected results date:

• Met expectations or Did not meet expectations: [increased X by Y, stat sig]

Recommended next steps:

• Next step. Explanation / justification.

Table 1. Experiment results.

Subscribe now

Principles

What are some beliefs and core values that guide decision making?

Definitions

Define key terms.

What are the core components of the user experience?

Event Instrumentation

As a PM, I want to understand x…explain what events you are tracking and how those events align with the story you are trying to tell

Dependencies

Future vision

Explain how building this feature progresses towards your future vision.

Plan out multiple phases of feature development.

Risks and mitigations

What are the key strategic, organizational, operational, financial and technical risks?

What are the mitigations?

What do we not know?

Appendix

What would be distracting or unnecessary to include in the body of the document, but would be helpful for reference?

Appendix A: Related documents

Survey or research results, customer interviews, etc.

Appendix B: Competitor examples

In what ways are we at parity with competitors? What are we intentionally doing differently?