Managers, Get Your Hands Dirty – Issue 16
When the gap between "understanding" and "doing" becomes a liability
Last week, Sam Altman was asked in a podcast:
“How do you think Ai will change how we develop apps” He said, “I don’t know”
No one can predict the future. But we can notice patterns and get closer to the truth. I’m noticing four trends. They’re all converging to disrupt the way managers work.
Trend #1: Layoffs Are at an All-Time High
Summer of 2020, in the midst of Covid. The Great Flattening trend started and it never stopped. Companies began to cut down on middle managers. Reasons include: Decision Bloat - Slowness - Approvals.
It reached its peak this year with Andy Jassy talking about changing the “builder ratio” at Amazon. Less Managers, more Builders.
Trend #2: Survival is the New Default
We all made fun of Google when ChatGPT launched. Their Ads business model will be disrupted by chat, no one will use search..etc Their stock dropped 40%.
Every trend pre-2023 showed they were slow:
Launching a product took more than a year
Min. 5 Approvals of VPs needed before shipping
Celebrated research > shipping
They are now back, better than ever. They took 2 years to apply “Quiet Reset”. Cut thousands of managerial jobs, focused on shipping, Sergey Brin got back to coding.
There is no golden age anymore. No “steady state.” No phase where you milk the cow and enjoy the view. Every company is in Survival Mode.
Trend #3: You Can’t Critique What You Don’t Understand
Two months ago, my team started building “Ai Product Features”. I gave my usual product critique but soon realized that my feedback on the product is irrelevant. I treated AI Features as Normal Features. I was critiquing an iPhone with a Nokia mindset.
As a manager in the AI age: If you don’t understand the tool, you won’t understand the product.
Trend #4: Your Team Doesn’t Need You to Teach Them Anymore
For decades, the best managers were “player-coaches.” They knew the craft, taught you the skills, and helped you grow.
That model is dying.
Today, anyone can ask ChatGPT: “Explain this architecture to me.” “Review my code.” “How do I handle this stakeholder?”
The new manager job isn’t “coach.” It’s matchmaker: pairing the right person with the right problem. Your team can self-direct, self-learn, self-review with AI as their always-on coach.
Your team will become what Jason Fried calls “managers of one”.
Conclusion
Fewer managers. Survival pressure. AI-native products. Self-coaching teams. It all points to the same thing:
The era of the “oversight high-level manager” is over
Strong Managers will become Matchmakers.
Hiring and Retaining A+ Talent
Putting the right people on the right problem
Managers, roll up your sleeves and practice your Craft with AI
If you’re in music → learn Suno
If you’re in tech → learn Cursor
If you’re in video editing → learn Runway
If you’re in GTM → learn Clay
When the gap between “understanding” and “doing” becomes a liability
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I write about my journey in building Enterprise SaaS and Marketplaces