​I spent an entire day searching for the best examples of GPT-enabled technologies but found mostly repetitive Twitter posts hyping them up without showcasing their true capabilities.

A friend mentioned that it's only a two-month-old technology, so we should be patient. However, I believe engineers and tinkerers are already working on projects involving this technology.

My experience was quite deflationary, as it felt like there was more smoke and mirrors than substance—similar to some crypto-related content on YouTube.

Determined to understand its potential better, I decided to write code myself and experiment with a GPT agent on my personal devices.

When discussing the technology with people in enterprise environments, they often dismiss it as merely replicating secretarial tasks.

This undervalues the skills required for jobs such as cohort analysis, copywriting, graphic creation or sentiment analysis—all of which could potentially be impacted by GPT agents.

As I continue exploring this emerging field, I remain cautiously optimistic about its future applications and implications in various industries.

As a product manager, it's important to recognize the changing landscape of the software industry.

​Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a novelty, but a necessity for companies to stay competitive.

​However, it's not just about using AI for fundraising or press appeal, it's about meeting the changing user expectations.

It's real simple.

They all lack the fundamental bedrock of Product.
Empathy.

The ability to begin to empathize with someone else.

To:
Co-Founders & ambitious employees
From:
Matt Quinn (2 time non technical co-founder, several startup employee and 2x corporate sell out)
Subject:
Know your limits

2 years ago now, I sat down to meet someone trying to hire me and as she enquired about a recent string of startup experiences, I welled up.

​I had a lump in my throat. I tried to explain what I felt to be an embarrassing set of experiences I had been through with some teams.

At the end of 2021 when I sat down to review my year and write my goals for the next, I felt that I was at the intersection of two major life forces.
1. I had joined a large enterprise as a consulting senior PM 3 months prior
​and
2. I was due my first child in 6 weeks

Whilst I hit all my goals for 2021 something about it all did not feel challenging.

To:
Founders, Indie hackers & ambitious employees
From:
Matt Quinn (2 time non technical co-founder, side project maniac and 2x corporate sell out)
Subject:
Put your blinders on and go get what you want
​
As I round out the end of 3 months in my new corporate role, I wanted to jot down some quick thoughts on the gravity of mediocrity that plagues our world and how important it is to fight it.

To:
Founders & ambitious employees
From:
Matt Quinn (2 time non technical co-founder, several time startup employee and 2x corporate sell out)
Subject:
In failure there is still gold to be had

​A really cringe thing but 100% true thing to say is that in failure there are things you can still gain.
​
This is what I found myself explaining to a corporate tech lifer over a coffee in December - who had by his account, never taken a risk nor experienced the stress of failure or decline.