#53: The state of AI prototyping for product managers | Colin Matthews & Tal Raviv

Listen to this episode from Supra Insider on Spotify. Welcome to another episode of Supra Insider. This time, Ben and Marc sat down with Tal Raviv and Colin Matthews for a candid conversation about how AI is reshaping the work and mindset of modern product managers.They unpack insights from Tal’s recent survey on AI prototyping adoption, common challenges for PMs using AI tools, and the importance of learning how to experiment effectively. Colin shares how his approach to evaluating side projects has shifted now that AI accelerates time to build—and why go-to-market remains the biggest bottleneck.They also explore why some companies still penalize failure, how team dynamics are evolving as PMs become more self-sufficient, and why embracing high-leverage work is more critical than ever. If you’re a PM, solopreneur, or product leader trying to navigate the new AI era, this episode is packed with honest takes and practical advice.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox 👇To support the podcast, please check out the links below:* Preparing for a PM interview with tech companies like Meta and Google? Check out Ben's course for Product Sense and Analytical Thinking PM interviews (selected by Lenny Rachitsky as a Top Course in Product on Maven 🔥) and the standalone AI Copilot for practice. Supra Insider listeners get 10% off the course with promo code “suprainsider”. Enrollment is now open for the next cohort starting April 22nd.* Supra just launched its first Product Leadership compensation & tools benchmarks report. The report covers comp trends across different seniority tiers, work settings, and reporting structures. Want to get access to the full report? Please fill out this form to get your exclusive copy.In this episode, we covered the following topics:* Insights from Tal’s survey on how PMs are (and aren’t) using AI prototyping tools* The common hurdles that prevent people from reaching “aha” moments with tools like Bolt and Replit* Why AI is making product management fun again—and how to use it to become a “double threat” or a “triple threat” PM* How Colin evaluates side projects by reverse-engineering go-to-market from the start* Why most AI-built projects still fail at distribution, not development* How internal incentives at big companies kill risk-taking and innovation* The evolving relationship between PMs, designers, researchers, and marketers as AI blurs boundaries* The importance of following your creative energy when working independently* Reframing productivity through the lens of leverage, not hours* And much more!If you’d like to watch the video of our conversation, you can catch that on YouTube:Links:* Colin Matthews: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmatthews-pm/* Tal Raviv: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/* AI Prototyping for Product Managers: https://maven.com/tech-for-product/ai-prototyping-for-product-managers* Technical Foundations for Product Managers: https://maven.com/tech-for-product/tech-fundamentals* Build Your Personal PM Productivity System & AI Copilot: https://maven.com/tal-raviv/product-manager-productivity-system* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/* Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaselga/If you enjoyed this conversation, please share it with a friend or colleague 👇Also, if you’re a new subscriber, we encourage you to check out some of the recent episodes you might have missed:And here are some less recent favorites: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit suprainsider.substack.com