If you had asked me five years ago whether product managers would need to worry about AI-generated job applicants or remote interviews with operatives from North Korea, I would've laughed you out of the room. But here we are.
I recently sat down with Shannon Anderson, longtime recruiter and talent scout at Madrona Ventures, for an episode of the Fireside PM podcast. What started as a reaction to a viral LinkedIn post ended up being one of the most wide-ranging, eye-opening conversations I've had on the topic of recruiting, AI, and the future of work. In this post, I want to unpack that conversation for my fellow PMs—especially early to mid-career professionals—because it’s not just a hiring manager problem. The game has changed, and you need to play it differently.
1. The AI Arms Race Has Arrived—in Recruiting
One of Shannon’s first points hit hard:
“Everything we learned about remote hiring during COVID was a sea change, but it’s already obsolete.”
AI isn’t just being used to help candidates polish their resumes. It’s being used to impersonate them entirely. We’re seeing fake LinkedIn profiles, AI-altered Zoom video filters, and entire teams coordinating to pass coding screens. In some extreme cases, Shannon shared concerns (echoed by Cisco and others) about foreign actors infiltrating companies via fake hires—not for the paycheck, but for access to corporate IP.
And if you think you’re safe because you’re hiring PMs, not engineers, think again. AI-generated product portfolios, hallucinated case studies, and polished-but-shallow cover letters are already flooding inboxes. As a PM, you need to be aware that your competition isn’t just smart—they may be synthetic.
2. Fundamentals Still Win
Even though tools like ChatGPT can make anyone look great on paper, Shannon makes the case that they can’t replace taste or judgment.
“You can throw something into ChatGPT and so can I. But if you haven't developed judgment, you won't know if it's good. That's the difference.”
This is a wake-up call for early-career PMs. AI can help you draft a PRD or write your resume, but if you can't tell when something feels off, you're at a disadvantage. So don’t just use AI to do your job—use it to learn how to do your job better. Treat it like an intern, not your brain.
3. Referrals Matter More Than Ever
One of the simplest but most actionable takeaways from Shannon was this:
“Referrals reign supreme. Warm intros from trusted networks slice through AI noise like butter.”
That line stuck with me. Because in a world of keyword-stuffed resumes and AI-generated portfolios, what cuts through is trust. If you’re a PM looking for your next gig, your best bet isn’t just optimizing your resume—it’s cultivating your network. Build authentic relationships with people you admire. Offer to help. Ask for advice. That’s how you earn the referrals that will put you on the shortlist.
4. Speed and Specificity Matter
When it comes to hiring, Shannon noted that the best candidates are snapped up quickly, especially in sales and customer-facing roles. This has lessons for product managers too:
Be decisive: If you're a PM hiring a researcher, analyst, or designer, you can't drag your feet.
Be precise: Know what you actually need in the next 30, 60, or 90 days. Shannon emphasized:
“If you don’t know what you’re solving, you’ll never know who to hire.”
For PMs trying to break into the role, this also means tailoring your pitch. Don’t be the generalist applying to every PM role. Be the best fit for a specific company’s specific need—and show you understand their business.
5. Beware the Amazonification of Hiring
Shannon made a provocative analogy:
“Hiring managers want an Amazon shopping experience. Search, shortlist, get reviews, place the order, and return the bad ones.”
But people aren't bunion pads. As PMs, we have to resist this mindset—whether we’re hiring or being hired. Great hiring takes time. It takes context. It takes iteration. The more we treat talent like widgets, the more we hurt our teams.
So what can you do about it?
Actionable Advice for PMs in 2025
1. Always be recruiting. Shannon's mantra for hiring managers applies just as well to candidates. Talk to people. Stay curious. Keep your resume sharp even when you’re not looking.
2. Build judgment the hard way. Do the work. Write PRDs by hand before prompting AI. Read other PMs' docs. Critique them. Get feedback. Learn what good looks like.
3. Use AI—but don’t outsource your thinking. AI is great at suggestions. You’re responsible for decisions. Treat it as a brainstorming partner, not a crutch.
4. Referrals > Resumes. Spend 10x more time building relationships than updating bullets. Help others first. Ask for warm intros. It works.
5. Embrace customer-facing roles. If you can't land a PM job, a sales engineer, support, or success role can give you skills in empathy, communication, and product insight. Note from Shannon: If you’re at a company with a sales team looking for top-notch sales interns from UW’s Foster School’s Professional Sales Program, request an intern here.
In the end, Shannon reminded us of the most important principle:
“You are who you hire.”
Check out Shannon’s substack here.
As PMs, we build our careers and our products the same way: one thoughtful decision at a time. Let’s make good ones.
If you're looking for 1:1 coaching, visit tomleungcoaching.com. For product consulting and strategy support, visit paloaltofoundry.com.
OK. Enough pontificating. Let's get back to work.
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