Should PMs learn to code and prototype to save their jobs in the AI age?

I don’t think so.

As a PM you should definitely know the trade-offs between different engineering approaches that can help achieve a product goal. Unless you are working on a deeply technical product.

You will add far more value by identifying existing user problems, leakage in funnels, new adjacent use cases, ways to improve the bottom line, and top line growth. Instead of trying to add value by writing code to impress your developers.

You’ll lose your job if you don’t meet your KRs. So focus on that.

I sincerely believe that a PM should understand technology. Being an ex-developer is a plus. But that’s not your job now.

A lot of PMs are bad at their job. More than that, they don’t care about the craft of building products. So it is easy for them to get confused about how to add value.

This is the same shit I keep reading about designers now having to be design engineers. Code is the highest level of fidelity blah blah. Coding is so easy. Use framer and build what you design.

Nope. Just be a fucking great designer. And figure out how to give your users a killer experience. That’s it. That is your job.