Medium: How product management is changing in 2026

Ant Murphy published this synthesis in December 2025, drawing on reports from ProductPlan, Productboard, Atlassian, airfocus, MIT, and LinkedIn to assess how the product management role is shifting as AI tools become standard.

What the article covers

Murphy addresses three intersecting trends: a recovering job market with roughly 42,000 open PM roles on LinkedIn, a corporate pivot from growth metrics to profitability targets, and AI adoption at scale — with 94% of product professionals using AI regularly and saving one to two hours daily on execution tasks. These trends interact in ways that are not always straightforward: MIT research cited in the article found that 95% of enterprise generative AI pilots fail to deliver measurable ROI, which means access to AI tools does not automatically translate into better products.

The structural changes

The most significant organizational shift Murphy documents is the blurring of role boundaries. LinkedIn replaced its APM program with cross-functional “Product Builder” roles that combine product, design, and engineering responsibilities. Murphy connects this to a broader change in authority — senior leadership is increasingly dictating product strategy from the top down, reducing the discovery-driven autonomy that many PMs built their careers on. Companies are reconsidering what it means to have a dedicated PM at all as AI takes over more of the execution layer.

What skills to prioritize

Murphy synthesizes multiple sources into a ranked list: product strategy, business acumen, system-level thinking, data literacy, and AI/ML knowledge. Collaboration and influence follow. He frames the strategic shift concretely: the job is evolving from “owner of the roadmap” to “architect of impact.” The ability to translate high-level business goals — increase revenue, reduce churn — into specific, measurable product outcomes is what distinguishes effective PMs in 2026 from those who relied on execution workflows to fill their time.

Who it is useful for

This article is useful for PMs who want a data-grounded picture of where the role is heading rather than predictions based on individual experience. It is particularly relevant for those making career decisions — whether to double down on strategic skills, which new competencies to develop, and how to position product work within organizations that are rethinking the scope of PM autonomy.