🚀 The AI Tsunami
How Product Managers Can Navigate the Storm with Confidence
THE AI ADVANTAGE: How PMs Are Winning the Future | Podcast
Vellanki Sriharsha
Product Leader at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited
Welcome to another edition of The AI Product Pulse—your guide to thriving in the ever-evolving world of AI and product management.
In this edition, we dive deep into an insightful conversation with Vellanki Sriharsha, a seasoned product leader at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, with expertise in AI, GenAI, and product innovation across OTT and supply chain domains. With the AI landscape shifting faster than ever, Vellanki shares actionable insights on how product managers can not just keep up—but lead.
🎯 The Big Question: How Technical Should a Product Manager Be?
The age-old debate continues—"Do I need to become a technical product manager to work with AI?"
Vellanki's take is refreshing: You don’t need to understand how transformers work or dive deep into RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback) to get started.
What you do need is:
A curious mindset
Willingness to experiment
A strong user-centric lens to identify the right use cases
"Start using AI tools in your daily workflow—only then can you truly see where they can create value for your customers." — Vellanki
🧠 From Overwhelm to Opportunity: Taming the AI Tsunami
We’re living in a time where there’s a new model, new tool, new framework every single week. It’s both exciting and terrifying. So, how does Vellanki stay grounded?
His 3-step method to beat the overwhelm:
Stay informed – Subscribe to trusted newsletters and YouTube channels
Experiment selectively – Try the tools that keep popping up across multiple sources
Go deep on what sticks – Double down on the 5% of tools that actually move the needle
🧾 Top AI Newsletters and podcasts he recommends:
🎥 Vellanki advises above channels & newsletters that break down new models and trends simply—often these offer faster, more digestible insights than long-form blogs.
🛠️ Tools of the Trade: From Ideation to Prototyping
When asked about his favorite tools, Vellanki’s enthusiasm was palpable. Some standout mentions:
ZeroChat: An agentic AI tool that enables interactive conversations to brainstorm and create together.
Napkin.ai: A “sleeper hit” that helps you create stunning visuals and infographics for presentations. Think of it as your AI-powered whiteboard for storytelling.
And if you’re a PM working with AI or hoping to integrate it into your product flow, you don’t have to do it all at once. Start small. Use ChatGPT to help draft PRDs. Use tools like Galileo to sketch out UI ideas, even if you’re not a designer. The idea is to make AI your partner in crime, not your replacement.
👩💻 New Era of Product Thinking: Full-Stack PM Mindset
One of the most powerful shifts Hara emphasizes is the need for PMs to embrace a “full-stack mindset.” That means thinking beyond just the user journey:
👥 Customer Discovery
✏️ Rapid Prototyping
🛠️ Tech Feasibility & Communication
💼 Go-To-Market & Positioning
📈 Marketing & Sales Enablement
“You're not taking anyone’s job. You’re enhancing your team's clarity and speed." — Vellanki
Use AI to create marketing content, build sales decks, generate product visuals, or even conduct user sentiment analysis. The possibilities are endless once you step out of the "just user flows" box.
💡 Getting Started? Don’t Wait for a Perfect Use Case
If you’re just starting out, Vellanki’s advice is simple: Start anywhere. Use any tool—ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity.ai—just begin exploring. You don’t need the perfect use case to begin. The experience of using the tools will surface the use cases for you.
💥 Mythbusting: Top AI Misconceptions
Here are a few key myths Vellanki calls out:
AI = Deep Research Only
→ Not true. Focus on the application layer where most innovation and impact lie today.AI Agents Are New
→ False. The concept of agents has been around for years—what’s changed is their accessibility and power.You Need to Code to Use AI
→ Absolutely not. Tools are more intuitive than ever, and PMs can add value without ever touching code.
👣 Final Takeaway: Explore First, Implement Later
AI is not something you wait to learn. It’s something you learn by doing.
Block out 30–60 mins a day. Try tools. Summarize newsletters with AI. Build a chatbot. Make a UX mockup. Use AI to write your next stakeholder update.
You don’t need to be a researcher to become an AI-savvy PM.
You just need to be curious.
✉️ Let’s Hear From You
How are you integrating AI into your product work? Tried any tools you love recently? Hit reply and tell us—we’ll feature top replies in our next issue.
Until next time,
Stay curious, stay experimental.
— Product Talk With Malthi
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