A junior product manager can now deliver a polished PRD in ten minutes, and it looks like senior work. The catch: research, first analyses, meeting notes and backlog care, the tasks that used to teach product people their craft, are exactly what AI does best. What disappears is not only effort but the apprenticeship in which judgment grew.
So where will your product seniors come from in three to five years? This talk argues that experience can no longer be a by-product of busywork; we have to grow the next generation on purpose, by building decision competence. Tim shows how, in four moves: real problems with clear boundaries instead of grunt work, responsibility that widens step by step, AI as a sparring partner rather than a substitute, and seniors who make their thinking visible. It costs mentoring time, and the talk is honest about that.
If you work with juniors or lead them, you leave with practical answers to that question and concrete things to try out yourself in your own team.
Product Coach & Co-Founder of Die Produktwerker.
Tim Klein is an Agile Product Coach, speaker, and expert in product management. For 25 years, he has been supporting organizations through coaching, training and mentoring for Product Owners, Product Managers and Product Leaders. As an experienced workshop facilitator, Tim brings structure, clarity and the right sense for group dynamics – even in challenging situations. His passion lies in impactful product work: hands-on, empathetic and focused on creating real value for customers and companies.
