The Punk PM #36

Hey there, punk!

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about what the future of tech means for the future of apps.

For nearly two decades, the pattern’s been pretty stable: download something from an app store, learn the flows, tap around on a screen. Rinse and repeat.

But that model is starting to crack.

More of our interaction with software is happening indirectly through AI tools, chat interfaces, and layers that sit between us and the product itself. And when that happens, the definition of what an “app” even is starts to shift.

It’s something I touched on last week, but it’s been nagging at me again. Because if the way people experience products is changing, then the way we think about them has to change too.

Here’s what I mean.

Quote of the Week 🙊

Insight 🦉

Last week I shared some predictions about where product and tech might be heading in 2026. One idea I keep circling back to is this: apps are starting to behave less like tools and more like personalities.

As more of our interaction with software gets mediated through AI browsers, chat interfaces, and agents, products are becoming a step removed from their users. We’re not always opening an app, clicking around, and learning its quirks firsthand. We’re asking another system to deal with it on our behalf.

And when that happens, something interesting changes.

People won’t choose products because of a clever flow, a compelling feature set, or a beautifully polished UI. They’ll choose them because of what the product stands for. Because of how it feels. Because they recognise themselves in it.

In other words: brand is about to matter a lot more than most product teams are comfortable admitting.

If your product is no longer a destination, but a voice that shows up through other tools, then personality becomes the interface. The story you tell. The values you project. The way your product behaves when no one’s explicitly looking at it.

That shifts the PM question from “how do we optimise activation?” to “why would someone want a relationship with this thing at all?”

Growth, scale, and long-term success start to look less like funnel maths and more like human connection. Emotional connection, specifically. An understanding of behaviour, identity, and taste becomes just as important as usability or performance.

As a former music journalist, I can’t help but see product work through the lens of storytelling. Great bands don’t win because they play better than everyone else. They win because they mean something to people. They represent a feeling, a moment, a point of view.

I think we’re heading to the same place with software.

Looking at my own tool choices recently, I’ve noticed how much they’re driven by how products make me feel rather than what they technically allow me to do.

I absolutely drank the Kool-Aid with Roam Research. The punky founder energy, the anarchic positioning, the sense that it was for people like me. That feeling didn’t last, partly because the product and the reality couldn’t sustain the story.

But other tools have stuck.

I use Mastodon not because it’s slicker than Twitter ever was (it isn’t), but because decentralisation and personal ownership align with my values. 

I’ve spent years bouncing between note-taking and knowledge tools, but Sublime really landed for me. Not because it does something wildly new, but because of the ethos behind it. A tool for thinking with a clear point of view about how knowledge should be built and connected.

Strip the functionality back and there’s nothing revolutionary there. Capture ideas. See relationships. Chat with your content using AI. Plenty of tools do that.

But Sublime has a personality. And I suspect most people paying for it are paying for the story as much as the software.

That’s the challenge—and the opportunity—for product managers in a world flooded with near-identical solutions. When execution gets cheap and features converge, meaning becomes the differentiator.

The question isn’t just what your product does anymore.

It’s who it is. And who it’s for.

Action 🚀

Next week, stop thinking about features.

Write one sentence that captures your product’s attitude.

If it could talk, what would it say? And why would anyone listen?

Inspiration 💡

The Human Imperative: Why Brand Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI – Yvonne Maher argues that as AI takes over the functional layer, trust and human connection become the real differentiators. Strong brands don’t just automate, they consistently show who they are and what they stand for. That’s where lasting relationships are built. Read more

The Design Moat: How to Stand Out When Everything’s “Smart” – Dale Wesdorp makes the case that AI is flattening digital design into a sea of sameness. The antidote? Human-centred design with personality, emotion, and intent. When everything works, how it feels is what people remember. Read more

Brand Storytelling Isn’t Fluff. It’s the Deciding Factor Between Differentiation and Commoditisation – Shannon Deep lays it out plainly: when features converge, story does the heavy lifting. Brand storytelling isn’t a marketing nice-to-have, it’s how products avoid becoming interchangeable and build long-term value. Read more

Signing Off ✍️

If this resonates with you, hit reply and let me know. And if you think a friend or colleague would enjoy The Punk PM, feel free to share it with them!

Play it your way,

Toby