When assessing product managers for AI-centric roles, Freshworks' CPO Srini Raghavan prioritizes passion and hands-on experience over traditional interviews. He asks to see a candidate's Git repository to evaluate what they have built on their own initiative.

The biggest impact of AI on product teams is not individual productivity. The best PMs use AI to completely rework workflows for their entire squads, changing how the team collaborates, prototypes, and makes decisions, thereby increasing collective agency and speed.

Traditional product sense questions are being replaced. AI PM candidates should expect to solve problems live using AI tools or design complex AI-native systems. This shift assesses a candidate's hands-on "builder" capabilities and deep understanding of modern AI architecture.

To assess a product manager's AI skills, integrate AI into your standard hiring process rather than just asking theoretical questions. Expect candidates to use AI tools in take-home case studies and analytical interviews to test for practical application and raise the quality bar.

A simple chat thread in ChatGPT is not a workflow. To truly assess if a candidate is a systems thinker, ask how they automate processes in their personal life. A good answer involves feedback loops and self-improving systems, revealing a deeper, more innate ability to leverage AI beyond simple queries.

To build an AI-native team, shift the hiring process from reviewing resumes to evaluating portfolios of work. Ask candidates to demonstrate what they've built with AI, their favorite prompt techniques, and apps they wish they could create. This reveals practical skill over credentialism.

Ramp requires all new hires, regardless of role, to be proficient with AI tools. The interview process for product managers now includes a practical session where candidates must build and present a functional product prototype using AI, demonstrating hands-on skill rather than just theoretical knowledge.

To discern a true AI-native product manager from a tourist, ask what they have built or automated. The ability to point to specific agents created or workflows automated demonstrates deep, practical expertise, which is far more valuable than just discussing AI concepts.

The rise of AI tools isn't replacing the PM role, but transforming it. PMs who embrace an "AI-enhanced" workflow for research, docs, and prototyping will gain a massive productivity advantage, ultimately displacing those who stick to traditional methods.