Olga Convey: The Future of Product Management & Leadership with AI ? (The Scale Project – ep. #2)

SVP of Product with a career spanning Amazon, HP, Intel, Moody’s, and now a fast-scaling AI and data company, Olga Convey shares a unique perspective on how the role of product leaders is evolving in a rapidly changing environment.

She explores the foundations of product leadership, the new demands driven by artificial intelligence, and the practical levers for building, scaling, and aligning high-performing product teams.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. Use the 4 pillars to guide your product decisions: Product, Process, People, Culture.
➤ Start by clarifying product vision, structuring delivery rituals, aligning stakeholders, and nurturing a high-impact product culture.

2. Write it down to gain clarity.
➤ Draft a brief before every new initiative. Try Amazon-style PR/FAQs to align teams and address objections early.

3. Influence without authority.
➤ Share business context, make your reasoning explicit, and empower teams to make smart decisions—without micromanaging.

4. Leverage AI to go faster, but stay strategic.
➤ Use prototyping or content-generation tools to test ideas quickly, but stay laser-focused on customer value and product differentiation.

5. Grow your product leadership with these 5 habits:
➤ Choose a product domain to go deep on.
➤ Talk to your users every week.
➤ Work with people who think differently than you.
➤ Document your decisions and instincts.
➤ Launch fast, learn as you go.

Whether you’re a product leader, startup founder, or navigating the shift AI is bringing to tech roles, Olga’s insights offer practical frameworks and strategic depth to help you lead with clarity and impact in today’s evolving product landscape.

Links:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-convey/

Here are a few highlights from our conversation

1. Frame your product decisions around the 4 core pillars.

Product. Process. People. Culture. This simple framework helps you assess what you’re building, how, with whom, and in what kind of environment.

« The right product mindset isn’t just about the product. It’s how we execute, how we communicate, and how we build culture. » – Olga Convey

Ask yourself: Are we solving a real need, with clear focus and the right people?
Use this framework in product reviews, retrospectives, and strategic planning.
Strong product culture isn’t declared—it’s built through consistency and high standards.

2. Turn writing requirements into a strategic lever.

At Amazon, writing isn’t optional—it’s foundational. Every initiative starts with a clear, narrative, structured document.

« I learned to write at Amazon. Writing gives persistence to the idea. It helps the team stay aligned over time. » – Olga Convey

Try PR/FAQ or one-pager formats to explore risks, clarify intent, and align early.
Writing isn’t a formality—it’s a rigor filter.
If it’s not written, it will be misunderstood.

3. Lead through influence, not authority.

PMs rarely have direct authority, but they are accountable for outcomes. Their strength lies in aligning people, giving meaning, and enabling others.

« Most of the time, people don’t report to you. You lead through context, energy, and excitement.» – Olga Convey

Influence is earned through clarity, purpose, and consistency.
Build trust with data, listening, and a clear vision.
Leadership doesn’t command—it aligns and mobilizes.

4. Let AI speed up execution without short-circuiting thinking.

Tools like Build, Lovable or Replit allow unprecedented prototyping speed—but they don’t define your value proposition or priorities.

« The hardest part isn’t moving fast. It’s knowing what questions to ask and which problems to solve.» – Olga Convey

AI boosts speed, but not strategic intent.
The more you automate, the more selective you must be.
The quality of your decisions is your true differentiator.

5. Work at the edges of product: tech, data, marketing, customer.

The modern PM isn’t a translator—they’re an integrator. They connect weak signals across domains to bring vision to life.

« You need to work at the edges. With marketing. With tech. With support. That’s how products come alive. » – Olga Convey

A strong PM doesn’t manage silos—they bridge them.
Learn to shift lenses: customer, tech, design, business.
Being cross-functional multiplies your impact.

6. Move from passive research to active understanding.

Understanding users isn’t a one-off study—it’s developing a continuous sensitivity to weak signals. That’s what leads to differentiated products.

« You have to talk to your customers. Know your market. Where are you playing? What are the trends? What are the real pain points?» – Olga Convey

Integrate user insights into every sprint, not just at project kickoff.
Spot market-shaping trends before they become “obvious.”
Study “non-usage”: what users don’t activate is often more revealing than what they do.
Make the voice of the customer flow beyond product teams.
Active understanding means acting on insights before others do.

7. Make product culture an invisible yet powerful engine.

Culture isn’t an HR artifact—it’s the daily fabric of decisions and behaviors. A strong product culture enables progress even when things are unclear.

« If you’re asking ‘Whose job is this?’, it’s probably yours.”
“At Amazon, we raise the bar. We value autonomy, but with context.» – Olga Convey

Adopt a founder mindset: act as if the product’s future depends on you.
Define what “product quality” means early—everyone should speak the same language.
Foster a culture of writing, transparency, and rigor—even in small teams.
Don’t let cultural ambiguity settle—it creates organizational debt.
Strong culture gives everyone the keys to make the right decisions without waiting for approval.

8. Always start with “why”.

In complex environments, giving meaning is more powerful than giving orders. “Why” aligns, mobilizes, and enables fluid execution—even without supervision.

« We don’t give instructions—we give context. That’s what lets teams move forward with autonomy.» – Olga Convey

Before launching a feature or roadmap, explain the business rationale behind the request.
Draft a simple framing note: objective, context, expected impact.
Use “why” to build strategic autonomy within your team.
Invite team members to rephrase what they understand—this ensures alignment.
“Why” cuts through noise and refocuses on what matters.

9. Make experimentation your leadership posture.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is how you develop full-spectrum product vision. Learning doesn’t come from theory alone—but from direct, messy, real-world experience.

« Experience is the best mentor. If you’re young, surround yourself with experienced people. If you’re outgoing, work with more introverted profiles. If you’re visual, try to explain things to auditory thinkers. » – Olga Convey

Collaborate with people who think differently from you—it expands your lens and sharpens judgment.
Take on projects outside your role: marketing, go-to-market, support, tech.
Try out AI tools even if you’re not an “expert”—skills follow use.
Ask questions in situations where you’re the learner—humility accelerates impact.
Learn to navigate the unfamiliar: this is where adaptive leadership is forged.

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Viorel Bucur est le co-fondateur d’Upscale Paris et du podcast “The Scale Project”.

Entrepreneur et coach d’équipe certifié ICF, il cumule plus de dix ans d’expérience en sciences comportementales, systèmes organisationnels et entrepreneuriat technologique. Il accompagne les leaders et les organisations dans leur transformation digitale, l’adoption de l’IA et le changement organisationnel.

Passionné par le potentiel humain et le développement du leadership, Viorel s’engage à faire émerger une nouvelle génération de leaders conscients et à fort impact, en les guidant à travers des parcours transformationnels qui redéfinissent leur manière de travailler, d’apprendre et de diriger.