AI Won’t Save Your Roadmap: How Product Managers Stay in Charge with Roger Snyder

AI is everywhere… including in your backlog, your boss’s OKRs, and probably your next performance review. In this episode, Rina sits down with Productside Principal Consultant and Trainer, Roger Snyder, to cut through the noise. They dig into what AI is actually good at, where it goes off the rails, and why product managers still own every decision. From vibe coding and Evals to agentic AI and ROI, Roger lays out a practical path for PMs who want to experiment without losing the plot.

Key Topics Discussed in This Episode

Key Topic #1 – AI as Your Assistant, Not Your Alibi

Roger explains why AI is a thought partner, not a magic eight ball. He shares how strong critical thinking, clear prompts, and real accountability keep PMs in charge—even when AI is doing a lot of the grunt work.

Key Topic #2 – Vibe Coding, Evals, and the ROI Problem

From vibe coding to Evals, Roger breaks down how PMs should (and shouldn’t) use AI in discovery and delivery. He also tackles why so many AI investments slow teams down instead of speeding them up, and how to avoid “AI pixie dust” features.

Key Topic #3 – Agents, Guardrails, and AI-First Orgs

Rina and Roger unpack what “agentic AI” actually means, why not all “agents” are really agents, and how to balance autonomy with accountability. They also explore what AI-first companies get right about data, governance, and experimentation.

Why Listen to This Episode?

In this thought-provoking episode, you’ll gain:

A clear mental model for what AI can and cannot do for product managers.

Practical ways to use AI for discovery, research, and communication—without delegating your judgment.

A roadmap for when to use vibe coding, when to lean on Evals, and when good old-fashioned automation is enough.

A simple way to spot real agent use cases vs. costly “because AI” experiments that blow up budgets and erode trust.

You’ll walk away with a healthier mix of AI optimism and skepticism—and a challenge from Roger to experiment with AI every day in 2026.

Related Resources

Check out these additional tools and resources to add to your PM belt:

Productside Resource Library

More Productside Stories Podcast Episodes

Explore Productside Courses