To find truly AI-native PMs, ask candidates what parts of their daily work they have automated. The spectrum of answers—from simply using a web UI to building a full agentic orchestrator—reveals their true level of craft and immersion in AI.

To find talent capable of managing an AI stack, traditional interviews are insufficient. A better test is to provide candidates with platform credits (e.g., Replit) and challenge them to build a functional agent that automates a real business task, proving their practical skills.

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.

With AI tools enabling anyone to ship code, all team members directly impact the user experience. Floto.ai now includes traditional PM-style product thinking questions in interviews for engineers and growth roles to ensure everyone builds with strong user empathy and business context.

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.

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.

When hiring AI PMs, prioritize "grit" over direct experience. A top candidate stood out not with AI credentials, but by independently watching hours of TikTok videos to deeply understand the target user, demonstrating proactive, sleeves-rolled-up research.