The National AI action plan📊, shifting from outputs to outcomes 🎯, PMs using pilot projects 🧑‍✈️

Transitioning to a product model requires shifting from outputs to outcomes, which can be challenging and needs organizational change ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Sign Up |Advertise|View Online TLDR Together With TLDR Product Management 2025-03-18 Building RAG applications in 2025? Start here (Sponsor) You would be hard-pressed to find an AI assistant or agent that doesn't include some form of retrieval-augmented generation. If you're looking for the best ways to incorporate RAG into your apps, start with these free resources: → Analyst guide: Build or Buy RAG? This BARC report looks at the requirements for RAG architecture and compares the options of building a bespoke solution or leveraging a RAG platform. → See demo RAG applications: Try live demos of AI assistants and agents. → Learn more about Vectara: See how you can simplify RAG development with the AI Agent and Assistant platform for enterprises. 📱 News & Trends a16z's Recommendations for the National AI Action Plan (3 minute read) a16z has urged U.S. policymakers to prioritize AI competitiveness by supporting startups through three key policies: federal leadership in AI regulation, a harm-based approach to regulation instead of development restrictions, and increased investment in AI infrastructure and talent. The 2025 Product Strategy Playbook (22 minute read) An effective strategy requires making clear choices about what not to do, visualizing the plan, measuring outcomes rather than outputs, and communicating consistently. To take action, start simple, validate quickly, and iterate by developing a basic strategy, sharing it for feedback, and refining it over time. 🚀 Opinions & Tutorials Outcomes Are Hard (6 minute read) Transitioning to a product model requires shifting from outputs (features shipped) to outcomes (measurable impact), which can be challenging and needs organizational change. Companies often struggle with common mistakes like relying on outdated metrics, vague problem definitions, and improper measurement. Strong product teams overcome these by defining problems clearly, tracking relevant KPIs, and refining their approach to deliver value. Back On Track (5 minute read) Effective leadership in transformation requires distinct skills from general product leadership, as some leaders excel at demonstrating best practices while others specialize in driving long-term change. Leaders can improve adaptability by providing strategic context, setting expiration dates for new initiatives, and encouraging team input to foster a sense of agency and alignment. 🧑‍💻 Resources & Tools How Pilot Projects Can Give PMs the Support They Lack from Leadership (7 minute read) Pilot testing helps product teams quickly learn from real users in a controlled setting, uncovering insights that improve product relevance and reduce risk before scaling. Unlike beta testing, which gathers broad quantitative data, pilot testing provides deep qualitative feedback, enabling teams to iterate rapidly and refine their approach for greater market success. An Opinionated Guide on Which AI Model to Use in 2025 (4 minute read) ChatGPT is the best all-around AI assistant, Claude excels at writing and coding, Gemini handles long-context tasks and video generation, Grok is the best free option for research, and Perplexity is great for quick searches and travel planning. 🎁 Miscellaneous Five PLG tactics every sales-led company should do (6 minute read) Even for sales-led companies, incorporating Product-Led Growth tactics can accelerate sales cycles, improve retention, and drive expansion. Key strategies include using interactive demos, time-based trials, self-serve activation, product usage signals for expansion, and user-generated content to enhance engagement and conversion efficiency. The only way to stop the rat race (6 minute read) Breaking free from the cycle of comparison requires actively shifting focus from perceived shortcomings to recognizing personal progress. Individuals can develop a more accurate and empowering perspective by embracing what has already been achieved while continuing to grow, fostering confidence and motivation without losing their drive for improvement. ⚡ Quick Links Stop Looking at Flat Dashboards (4 minute read) Flat dashboards and isolated metrics lack context, much like flat backlogs fail to show a system's purpose. Aligning PMs and PMMs on a feature and its value (2 minute read) To prevent costly marketing debt, PMs and PMMs must align early on story, price, abilities, competitive edge, end user, and roadmap. Love TLDR? Tell your friends and get rewards! Share your referral link below with friends to get free TLDR swag! https://refer.tldr.tech/b3142ada/9 Track your referrals here. Want to advertise in TLDR? 📰 If your company is interested in reaching an audience of product management professionals and decision makers, you may want to advertise with us. Want to work at TLDR? 💼 Apply here or send a friend's resume to jobs@tldr.tech and get $1k if we hire them! If you have any comments or feedback, just respond to this email! Thanks for reading, Ellen Le & Sinan Zhang Manage your subscriptions to our other newsletters on tech, startups, and programming. Or if TLDR Product Management isn't for you, please unsubscribe.