Webflow's CPO champions the "ICCPO" (Individual Contributor CPO) model. In the AI era, leaders must be hands-on practitioners who experiment with their own tools. This direct engagement is critical for understanding the new toolkit, discovering its limitations, and guiding their teams effectively from the trenches.

In today's fast-paced tech landscape, especially in AI, there is no room for leaders who only manage people. Every manager, up to the CPO, must be a "builder" capable of diving into the details—whether adjusting copy or pushing pixels—to effectively guide their teams.

Historically, implementation details were engineering's domain. AI tools now empower designers to directly control the final UI polish, motion, and behavior. This 'front of the front-end' is becoming an integral part of the design role, increasing both control and accountability for the final user experience.

To adapt to AI-driven workflows, Microsoft's LinkedIn combined product managers, designers, and engineers into a single "full stack builder" role. This structural change eliminates communication bottlenecks and empowers individuals to leverage AI tools for end-to-end product development, drastically increasing speed.

The traditional management philosophy of “hire smart people and get out of their way” is obsolete in design. Today's leaders must be deeply engaged, providing significant support to senior designers who tackle ambiguous and politically complex projects. This hands-on guidance is crucial for shipping outcomes, not just outputs.

Dylan Field predicts that AI tools will blur the lines between design, engineering, and product management. Instead of siloed functions, teams will consist of 'product builders' who can contribute across domains but maintain a deep craft in one area. Design becomes even more critical in this new world.

It's nearly impossible to hire senior product or engineering leaders who are also fluent in AI. The advice for experienced managers is to step back into an Individual Contributor (IC) role. This allows them to build hands-on AI skills, demonstrating the humility and beginner's mindset necessary to lead in this new era.

For years, design fragmented into specialist roles like UX and UI. AI is now consolidating these roles by giving designers more power over front-end code. This trend marks a return to the 'generalist' territory, making versatile design engineers highly valuable.

AI tools are collapsing the traditional moats around design, engineering, and product. As PMs and engineers gain design capabilities, designers must reciprocate by learning to code and, more importantly, taking on strategic business responsibilities to maintain their value and influence.