As AI continues to accelerate what’s possible in product development, the biggest bottleneck isn’t the technology—it’s us. Human coordination, communication, and decision-making often slow things down more than any technical limitation. To truly harness the power of AI, we must focus on minimizing friction for people just as much as we optimize for machines. This article outlines practical strategies to align teams, reduce cognitive load, and create a work environment where both humans and AI can operate at their full potential.
Ensure Everyone Understands the Goal
(Responsibility of the board, Product Managers, and Engineering Managers)
In today’s rapidly changing world, teams need to act more autonomously. They shouldn’t have to constantly ask what to do next. Clear alignment is more critical than ever.
Clarify the north star at the company, department, and team levels.
If members don’t fully understand it, progress stalls.
Keep strategies up to date across all levels.
While not mandatory, shared understanding of strategy helps everyone move faster and make better decisions.
Minimize Cognitive Load for Both AI and Humans
(Organizational structure: VPs. Execution: PdMs, EMs, and ICs)
To enable close collaboration between AI and people, everything—products, code, and processes—must be designed to reduce complexity.
Keep product requirements as small as possible
Write compact PRDs that can be used directly with AI coding tools. If it’s too large, break it into smaller parts.
Keep teams small
Ideally 2–3 people, to minimize communication overhead.
Keep codebases small and focused
Large codebases are harder for AI tools (and people) to navigate. When AI starts struggling to understand the architecture, it’s time to break things down.
Always consider creating a new component before modifying an existing one.
Minimize dependencies between systems
Dependencies increase complexity. Don’t be afraid to reinvent the wheel when it reduces entanglement. If you must depend on another system, keep interfaces as simple as possible.
Deliver quickly
Don’t wait for a sprint to end. Ship as soon as something is ready.
Start collecting feedback immediately
It’s likely your first version won’t hit the mark. Gather user feedback or metrics right away, learn, and iterate fast.
Minimize and Optimize Human Communication
(Everyone, especially EMs and ICs)
Humans—not AI—are usually the bottleneck. The most time-consuming task is communication between people, so make it count.
Prioritize synchronous communication
Meet in person or via Zoom as often as possible to quickly align and unblock.
Revisit architecture after PMF
Once your product has found market fit, take time to reassess and optimize the system architecture holistically.
Summary
By aligning teams around a clear vision, minimizing complexity for both humans and AI, and streamlining communication, organizations can unlock faster delivery and better outcomes. These principles aren’t just about working more efficiently—they’re about creating a culture where high-performance teams can thrive. The companies that adopt these habits now will be the ones that lead tomorrow.
