For decades, building software was like crafting an espresso by hand — engineers wrote the code, designers shaped the components, and product managers refined the recipe. Every feature was handcrafted, one shot at a time.
But we’re entering a new era.
Today, AI agents are becoming the espresso machines of software. They provide the underlying capabilities — the plumbing, the intelligence, the building blocks — from which an almost infinite variety of features can be created. And just as a skilled barista can craft hundreds of different beverages from one espresso machine, forward-deployed product managers and customer success managers can now assemble the right features and workflows tailored to each customer’s needs, powered by AI.
This shift changes everything about how we think about product development, roles, and scale.
Engineers and designers will focus on building the “machine” — the underlying AI systems, components, and capabilities.
Product managers and customer teams will increasingly become creators at the point of delivery, assembling features on demand.
Customers will experience more personalization, faster iteration, and solutions that truly fit their context.
☕️ The result? Mass customization at scale — without compromising quality.
We’re only at the beginning of this transition, but one thing is clear: in the era where software builds software, our roles — and our opportunities — are being redefined.
