Agentic AI and the Modern PM: Rewriting the Agile Playbook
The world of product development has undergone a seismic shift from distributed teams to Agentic AI. Agentic AI refers to AI systems that operate on their own with a data guiding them not just responding, but acting proactively toward a goal. Think of them as digital teammates that don’t just answer your Slack ping, but can plan, summarize, prompt, and even execute on tasks. I use them across the spectrum.
I have enough gray hair to remember the days of stickies on whiteboards with an entire team in the same room to iron out every use case with Jira, Asana, or Pivotal Tracker tickets so the tickets can be updated. We can never get enough of “As a ….I want to …so I can… “
What began as a necessity during the terrifying global pandemic has solidified into the new normal: the vast majority of organizations now embrace hybrid or fully remote operating models. As is the case with most adaptations this has resulted in pros and cons from a business operating and customer experience perspective. Recent data suggests that over 69% of US companies now offer work location flexibility (up from 51% in 2024 Owl Labs ). Additionally, 83% of global employees prefer a hybrid work environment.[ Global ] This impactful shift means that millions of product teams globally are grappling with unprecedented communication and collaboration dynamics and no, AI is not always the answer ;).
Agile methodologies, born from the need for flexibility and rapid iteration, revolutionized product development. There is nothing better than build, ship, measure, learn. Yet, in their purest form, Agile principles were heavily predicated on co-location and face-to-face conversations. This new, remote-first reality, intertwined with the rapid evolution of AI tools and the amplification of inherent human dynamics, requires how we Product Managers lead, communicate, and most importantly build with our colleagues to address customer and business needs.
The Remote Challenge: Why Traditional Agile Methodologies and the Software Development Lifecycle Falls Short
The foundation of classic Agile lies in fluid communication and the effortless sharing of information by proximity, overhearing conversations, and quick desk-side chats. In a remote setup, this spontaneous flow breaks down entirely. There can only be so many Slack channels, Figma tags on design updates, or Confluence document update notifications. (These are all amazing tools by the way)
Missing Fluid Communication: Agile's reliance on spontaneous, face-to-face interaction is challenging in a remote environment especially when teams are across different regions because language can also come into play along with timezones. There are no more quick whiteboard sessions, overhearing crucial updates, or simply tapping a colleague on the shoulder for immediate clarification.
The Documentation Dilemma, not everything needs to be in writing (sorry) With the absence of constant informal exchanges, the pendulum often swings hard towards documentation. There's an increased, often desperate, need for clear, asynchronous documentation. However, an over-reliance on a single, perfectly exhaustive document as the sole source of truth can paradoxically create more friction. Documents become rigid barriers, leading to frustration when nuanced understanding isn't instantly conveyed in text, or when individuals demand perfect clarity before engaging. As many of us know, documents are live documents not static.
Defining "Readiness" Remotely: In co-located teams, "ready for dev" or "ready for QA" can often be a quick verbal agreement, a shared understanding from a conversation. Remotely, this becomes far more nuanced. Without those spontaneous clarifications or shared contexts, what constitutes "ready" can vary wildly between team members, leading to disagreements, delays, and a feeling that a process bottleneck is arbitrary rather than objective. Who truly determines it, and based on what shared understanding?
Navigating the AI Era: Friend or Foe to Remote PM?
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence, particularly large language models and advanced translation tools, presents a fascinating duality for remote product teams. These tools offer powerful new capabilities but also introduce new complexities.
Leveraging AI the assistants we know and love: I am not simplifying the impact AI has to “assistants” they are much more than that. It can be seen that product organizations and managers use AI tools to act as Agents or assistants. AI tools like automatic summarizers, instant translators, and AI-assisted documentation generators promise to significantly enhance clarity and efficiency in remote settings. Tools like Lovable, Replit and others have accelerated the way teams build, ship, measure, learn. Additionally, these tools such as ChatGPT bridge language barriers, distill vast amounts of information quickly, and automate routine documentation tasks, theoretically making collaboration smoother and more inclusive across time zones.
The crossroads with AI: However, an over-reliance on AI can paradoxically strip away vital human elements: empathy, subtle nuance, and the ability to ask precise, clarifying questions that truly unearth underlying issues. When I was in school (those were the days..) a teacher said tools such as calculators are like trained incapacity, our over reliance on them can actually make things worse.
Strategy for PMs: The key is to leverage AI as an intelligent augmentation tool, not a replacement for deep human connection and critical thinking. Product Managers must understand AI's limitations, especially when dealing with cross-cultural communication or highly complex technical details. Prioritize clarity in your inputs to AI tools, and always verify their outputs with human interaction when precision and empathy are paramount. Recognize that while AI can translate words, it cannot yet translate intent, context, or the unspoken nuances of a remote team dynamic. Many great thought leaders have written why AI won’t replace Product Managers. It is the product managers that use AI who will replace product managers. This can’t be further from the truth. AI will be a fabric in our daily lives but the key ingredient to product management is customer value and this is more about understanding, empathy.
The PM's Agile Playbook: Human-Centric Adaptations for Remote & AI-Driven Teams
While Agile's spirit of adaptability remains paramount, its purest practices, born from co-located environments, often clash with the realities of remote work. This is especially true when confronted with the amplified human dynamics in a digital space.
The answer isn't to abandon Agile, but to adapt it fundamentally to these human and technological realities. Two week sprints etc are not much smaller because teams are far more talented and have many tools at the fingertips. This helps with time to market and validation.
There will always be a difference of opinion, but the cardinal rule is the same, respect and alignment are key. The best product teams are ones where every person on the team thinks of themselves as a product ‘person’ e.g. product engineers, QA’s become product specialists, and so forth. This is very important because it creates empowerment and trust. It is on product managers and also the team to encourage this mindset.
The spirit of Agile – customer centricity, adaptability, continuous improvement – remains paramount. Its practices, however, must evolve for the remote-first, AI-powered team:
Team obligations remain the same and can of course be streamlined with AI as we know.
Intentional Communication Design:
Asynchronous First: Prioritize clear, concise, written updates and discussions via tools like Slack/Teams for default communication. This forces clarity and provides a searchable record.
Multi-Modal Clarity: Supplement written documentation with short video walkthroughs, annotated diagrams, and recorded demos to cater to different learning styles and overcome translation nuances.
Mastering Documentation as a Living Asset:
Go beyond just "requirements." Document decisions, rationale, assumptions, and FAQs.
Make documentation easily accessible, searchable, and collaborative (e.g., Confluence, Notion, Google Docs).Treat documentation as a living, evolving product in itself, not a one-time deliverable.
Stand-Ups Rethought:
Remote ceremonies especially stand-ups, refinements, and retros demand more than just calendar invites. They require skilled facilitation to foster engagement, equity, and genuine problem-solving across screens and time zones.
Tools like Google Gemini and other summarizers can synthesize updates, flag blockers, and surface patterns in team sentiment. Used well, AI can move stand-ups from a rote ritual to a moment of clarity helping teams quickly understand what’s on track, what needs attention, and where collaboration is needed most. AI becomes a team’s scrum master.
Agentic AI may rewrite the playbook, but the heart of product work remains the same: building for humans, with humans. If we stay grounded in empathy, clarity, and adaptability, these tools can amplify what we already do best.
