Lenny Rachitsky · 3 min read · AI & Product
Why cultivating agency matters more than cultivating skills in the AI era | Max Schoening (Head of Product, Notion)
Read the original on lennysnewsletter.com →
Notion's Head of Product, Max Schoening, argues that thriving in the AI era hinges on cultivating agency—people who can move fast and prototype—more than just mastering skills. He explains that the first 10% of a project is effectively free and shares his 'tiny core' theory of great products, with examples like iPhone multitouch, GitHub PRs, Notion blocks, and Dropbox's menu bar icon, plus practical guidance for shipping AI-enabled products.
Key Takeaways
- Agency over pure skills is the key differentiator for thriving with AI; empower designers and PMs to ship and prototype quickly.
- The first 10% of a project is effectively free and should be leveraged to accelerate development.
- The 'tiny core' theory of great products (e.g., iPhone multitouch, GitHub PRs, Notion blocks, Dropbox icon) anchors successful AI-enabled products.
- Practical approaches to getting teams to ship code, prototype in the terminal, and launch AI products at scale.
- SaaS growth concerns may be overstated; focus on speed and value in AI-driven product development.
Excerpt
Max Schoening is head of product at Notion, where he’s been especially effective at getting designers and PMs to ship code, prototype in the terminal, and launch extremely successful AI products. He was previously a PM at Google, ran design at Heroku, was VP of Design (and a part-time engineer) at GitHub, and is a two-time founder. He’s one of the most AI-forward product leaders out there and one of the deepest thinkers on how AI changes how we build and use software. Listen on YouTube , Spotify , and Apple Podcasts We discuss: What’s most worked in getting designers…