In the current risk-averse market, companies prioritize candidates who can deliver immediate value. They seek individuals with a proven track record of solving the specific problem they're facing (e.g., launching a PLG motion), rather than betting on someone with only transferable skills.

Theoretical knowledge is now just a prerequisite, not the key to getting hired in AI. Companies demand candidates who can demonstrate practical, day-one skills in building, deploying, and maintaining real, scalable AI systems. The ability to build is the new currency.

The current PM career path is flawed, driven by framework obsession, advice from inexperienced creators, and a premature rush to leadership. This creates "strategy theatre" where leaders lack foundational experience, perpetuating a cycle of ineffectiveness and contributing to the craft's demise.

To make a hire "weird if they didn't work," don't hire for potential or vibe. Instead, find candidates who have already succeeded in a nearly identical role—selling a similar product to a similar audience at a similar company stage. This drastically reduces performance variables.

If you don't have a clear revenue growth story, you can still create a powerful narrative. Focus on repeatable, high-value accomplishments, such as being the founding PM on three different zero-to-one products or successfully migrating two on-prem platforms to SaaS. This demonstrates specialized, in-demand expertise.

While a product manager's strength is their ability to talk about anything (growth, tech debt), this becomes a weakness in interviews. You cannot say everything. You must curate a single, focused story that aligns with the employer's specific problem, as that is all they care about.

The language of job seeking has shifted. Descriptors like "seasoned," "passionate," or "cross-functional," and emphasizing years of experience, are now seen as fluff. Modern candidates must speak in terms of concrete actions and business outcomes they have driven, focusing on what they have shipped recently.

When transitioning to a new industry, your lack of domain knowledge is secondary. Focus on your "superpower": the proven, repeatable process you use to deliver results. Articulate your ability to launch, rally teams, and solve problems, as these core skills are universally valuable.

Ditch standard FANG interview questions. Instead, ask candidates to describe a messy but valuable project they shipped. The best candidates will tell an authentic, automatic story with personal anecdotes. Their fluency and detail reveal true experience, whereas hesitation or generic answers expose a lack of depth.