Product Managers don't need to code
You don’t stay relevant by writing code, you stay relevant by delivering outcomes.
The best product managers I've worked with didn't write a single line of code. What they did do was:
- deeply understand user pain
- ruthlessly prioritize what mattered
- communicate clearly with design, engineering and other stakeholders
- drive toward measurable outcomes
That's the job.
Not writing Python scripts. Not building side projects to impress the tech team.
I get where the instinct comes from. AI is rewriting the rules. Engineers are moving faster than ever. It's tempting to learn how to build just to keep up.
But that's not how you win.
You win by getting sharper at:
- asking the right questions
- defining problems better than anyone else
- knowing what not to build
Understanding technology is critical. But writing code is not the same as understanding tech.
The best PMs earn respect not by mimicking engineers - but by making engineers more effective. By removing ambiguity. By clarifying outcomes. By protecting focus.
Same goes for designers. Learning to prototype is useful - but your real job is user experience, not front-end dev.
Be excellent at your craft. That's the job. Not trying to do everyone else's.
"Being technical helps. But being strategic helps more."
If you want to stay relevant, don't spend your weekends learning how to code. Spend them learning how to think better, write clearer, prioritize faster, and obsess over user impact.
That's the PM we all want to work with.
