The Punk PM #29

Hey there, punk!

Kraftful, one of my favourite AI tools, just got acquired by Amplitude. Fantastic news for Yana and the team, but it got me thinking. Not about success, but about failure. For every celebrated exit, hundreds of products never make it past launch.

Let's dig into how you can avoid being one of them.

Quote of the Week 🙊

Insight 🦉

As product managers, we spend a lot of time defining what success looks like.

Features shipped. Metrics moving in the right direction. Happy customers.

But sometimes, it’s worth pausing to ask the opposite:

What would failure look like?

Why might customers overlook your product? Where could it fall short, frustrate, or confuse them? What assumptions are you relying on that might not hold up?

It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of what you’re building. We want our ideas to work. We can already see the launch announcements and the success stories.

But building products that last means taking the time to think about what could go wrong before it does.

This isn’t about being negative. It’s about being prepared. It’s how you build confidence in your strategy and avoid surprises down the line.

It’s also how you spot gaps early. When you can clearly name the risks, you put yourself in a much better position to address them.

A simple question I like to ask:

“If this doesn’t work, what will be the reasons why?”

Write down what comes to mind. Then use that list to guide your next steps:

• Identify the big assumptions you need to test.

• Spot potential gaps in your positioning or messaging.

• Look for points of friction in your user journey.

• Check if the problem you’re solving really matters to customers.

You’re not planning for failure. You’re figuring out what it might look like, and what you need to do to avoid it.

Because the goal isn't just to ship your ideas, It’s to find the ones that will have the biggest impact.

Action 🚀

Run a quick pre-mortem on one of your in-flight initiatives this week. List out all the reasons why it might not have the impact you’re hoping it will, then pick one to test or address.

Small checks today will prevent you falling down flat tomorrow.

Inspiration 💡

The Game Developers Fighting for Authenticity in an AI World – Keith Stuart explores how game creators are prioritising authentic stories and diverse characters, proving that human emotion and culture still matter in a world rushing towards AI. A reminder that connection beats automation. Read more

What People Are Vibe Coding (and Actually Using) – Lenny Rachitsky shares real examples of non-technical folks building cool, useful apps with AI tools like Lovable, Replit, and Claude Code. Meal planning, parenting, productivity; turns out “vibe coding” can be practical, accessible, and genuinely a lot of fun. Read more

Celebrating Women Leaders in AI – VentureBeat’s 7th Annual Women in AI Awards spotlighted CEOs and innovators driving responsible, inclusive AI forward. Proof that leadership and mentorship in tech still matter, and that women are shaping the future of AI in powerful and positive ways. Read more

Signing Off ✍️

If this sparked any thoughts, hit reply. I’d love to hear what “failure modes” you’re testing for right now. And if you think a friend or colleague would enjoy The Punk PM, feel free to pass it on.

Play it your way,

Toby