Happy Friday everyone! Welcome back to Ship Happens, your weekly product manager newsletter.
I'm using this newsletter to share at least three things l've come across this week to help you build better product. Subscribe so you don't miss these when they come out:
On to this week's thoughts and updates:
1. Everyone Wants a Magic Data Insight Button 🧙♂️📊
This week, I ran a poll on LinkedIn asking product managers what tool they most needed — 72% said they wanted AI-powered insights from their data. So I did what any curious PM would do: I built a prototype in Lovable called Trend Whisperer.
You can upload a CSV and get insights in seconds — it's not production-ready, but it's real code, real feedback, and a real reminder that prototyping is moving faster than ever. From idea to prototype in days? That’s the new normal.
2. The Rise of the Super IC and the Future of Work
I keep mentioning Elena Verna because, well, she keeps being right. This week, her post on the shift in full-time employment echoed something I’ve been living myself: the rise of the Super IC.
I've recently gone back to being an individual contributor, and it’s a whole different game now. With AI and better tooling, ICs can operate at massive scale. Product, design, engineering, even go-to-market work — the lines are blurring. The “solo entrepreneur” archetype is creeping into full-time jobs. And guess what? It's working.
3. AI Products: The Basics Still Apply 🤖
Despite all the buzzwords, building great AI products still means building great products. Full stop. Understand your customers. Solve real problems. The same product fundamentals still apply, whether you're working with LLMs, mobile apps, or something else entirely.
No amount of AI magic is going to fix a product no one wants. But pair a sharp understanding of the basics with new tech? Now you’re cooking.
4. The Luxury of Being Offline
Kareem Rahma shared a post on Substack Notes about how attractive it is when people are truly offline — and it hit home. I've been leaning into that lately. Less doomscrolling, more walks. Less noise, more clarity.
We weren’t built to consume an endless firehose of content. And the deeper I go into product and tech, the more I value the quiet time where actual thinking happens. Try it. Your brain might thank you.
Tools of the Week
Google Calendar + Todoist — I just discovered the calendar integration, and I’m obsessed. It lets you assign tasks to blocks of time like a boss.
ChatGPT Canvas + Notes — With memory features improving, I’m now using ChatGPT as my primary thought partner and journal. Way more fluid than traditional note apps.
What I'm Reading / Watching
AI Powered Search — On page 90-ish. Just hit the section on reflective intelligence. A great read if you want to understand AI through the lens of how people search and how products learn.
Children of Dune — Getting back into this sci-fi classic. It’s dense, but if you’ve read the first two, it’s a rewarding continuation.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive — Yes, I’m late to the party. Yes, it’s still amazing. It’s like Succession for racing fans. Highly recommend.
That's it for this week! Thanks everyone for tuning in.
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