Food for Agile Thought #479: Deep Research, Deleting Your Backlog, Product OS Competencies, Is Change Management Dead?
Also: EU AI Act, PMs Suck at Strategy, Lütke on Leadership, Founder Mode Myth
Hello everyone!
Welcome to the 479th edition of the Food for Agile Thought newsletter, shared with 42,738 peers.
This week, Zvi Mowshowitz and Ethan Mollick dissect OpenAI’s Deep Research, an AI-driven research agent poised to transform knowledge work but raising concerns about cost and safety. Andrej Karpathy offers a deep dive into Large Language Models, while Kyle Wiggers unpacks the EU AI Act’s first enforcement deadline, banning high-risk AI applications. In leadership, Lenny Rachitsky interviews Shopify’s Tobi Lütke on playing infinite games and leading with first principles. Meanwhile, Caroline Kealey declares change management dead, urging leaders to embrace adaptation, and Willem-Jan Ageling examines how organizational culture stifles agility — suggesting agility may not always be the right fit.
Next, Richard Mironov critiques ROI’s role in product decisions, arguing that uncertainty, risk, and hidden costs make it unreliable, advocating for strategic framing and cost trade-offs instead. Jason Knight interviews Martin Eriksson on why PMs struggle with strategy, emphasizing the need for clear company direction and leadership that empowers teams. Arvid Kahl shares a structured framework for backlog pruning, ensuring a focus on validated, high-value features that drive strategic growth.
Lastly, Charity Majors critiques Brian Chesky’s ‘Founder Mode’, arguing that leadership requires accountability, not heroism and that efficiency trumps empire-building in sustainable companies. Teresa Torres introduces the SPICEY framework for continuous discovery, emphasizing small, adaptable habits over perfection. John Cutler outlines four key competencies for product operating systems, highlighting leadership, domain expertise, systems thinking, and operations. Plus, Petra Wille launches All Things Product, a weekly podcast featuring Teresa Torres as the first guest.
🗳️ AI for Careers: Should Stefan Build a Course?
Did you miss the previous Food for Agile Thought issue 478?
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🏆 The Tip of the Week
Zvi Mowshowitz: We’re in Deep Research
Zvi Mowshowitz explores OpenAI’s new Deep Research feature, an AI-driven multi-step research tool for Pro users. While powerful, concerns arise over safety, cost, and broader implications for knowledge work and decision-making.
Source: We’re in Deep Research
Author: Zvi Mowshowitz
🧠 Artificial Intelligence
(via TechCrunch): AI systems with ‘unacceptable risk’ are now banned in the EU
Kyle Wiggers reports on the EU AI Act’s first compliance deadline, banning AI systems deemed “unacceptable risk.” Violations carry hefty fines, with exemptions for law enforcement and specific medical uses. More regulatory clarity is expected later in 2025.
Source: TechCrunch: AI systems with ‘unacceptable risk’ are now banned in the EU
Andrej Karpathy: Deep Dive into LLMs like ChatGPT
Andrej Karpathy presents a deep dive into Large Language Models, explaining their development, psychology, and practical use. He aims to raise AI literacy and empower users to harness state-of-the-art models effectively.
Source: Deep Dive into LLMs like ChatGPT
Author: Andrej Karpathy
Ethan Mollick: The End of Search, The Beginning of Research
Ethan Mollick explores AI’s shift from search to research, highlighting OpenAI’s Deep Research as a breakthrough in autonomous reasoning. These AI agents can conduct near-expert analysis, signaling a fundamental change in knowledge work and decision-making.
Source: The End of Search, The Beginning of Research
Author: Ethan Mollick
➿ Agile & Leadership
Caroline Kealey: 2025: The Year Change Management Died
Caroline Kealey declares 2025 the year change management died, arguing traditional models can’t handle today’s chaos. Instead, organizations must embrace adaptation, prune distractions, and cultivate resilient leadership to navigate constant uncertainty.
Source: 2025: The Year Change Management Died
Author: Caroline Kealey
🎙 Lenny Rachitsky and Tobi Lütke: Tobi Lütke’s leadership playbook: Playing infinite games, operating from first principles, and maximizing human potential
Lenny Rachitsky interviews Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke on leadership, first-principles thinking, and long-term vision. Lütke shares insights on maximizing human potential, balancing strategy with tactics, and why joy and curiosity drive lasting product success.
Authors: Lenny Rachitsky and Tobi Lütke
Willem-Jan Ageling: 8 Ways Organizational Culture Kills Agility
Willem-Jan Ageling explores how organizational culture often kills agility, highlighting eight key barriers: hierarchy, siloed teams, and valuing output over outcomes. If culture resists change, perhaps agility isn’t the right fit.
Source: 8 Ways Organizational Culture Kills Agility
Author: Willem-Jan Ageling
🖥 🇬🇧 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Training w/ PSM II Certificate — February 12–13, 2025
Discover Scrum’s four success principles in this official Scrum.org Advanced Scrum Master training class, which includes the industry-recognized PSM II certification. The PSM II training class is designed as a live virtual class and will be in English.
Enjoy the benefits of a live virtual immersive class with like-minded agile peers from 09:00–17:30 CET.
Learn more: 🖥 🇬🇧 Advanced Professional Scrum Master Training w/ PSM II Certificate — February 12–13, 2025.
Customer Voice: “Dear Stefan, Thanks a lot for two intense and mindblowing days. Your way of teaching suites me perfectly. I must admit that all the positive feedback you have gotten is spot on! I would any time a day recommand your class to a Scrum Master who wants to add a whole new level to his/her scrum game. To all of you reading this. You have to experience Stefans class to understand how good it is.” (Source.)
🎯 Product
Rich Mironov: ROI: Seductive but of Limited Value in Product Planning
Richard Mironov argues that ROI is a misleading tool for product planning due to uncertainty in estimates, risk scaling, and hidden costs. Instead, he advocates for strategic framing, rough cost trade-offs, and challenging revenue assumptions.
Source: ROI: Seductive but of Limited Value in Product Planning
Author: Rich Mironov
Arvid Kahl: Deleting Your Backlog: A Founder’s Guide to Feature Pruning
Arvid Kahl advocates for aggressively pruning backlogs to focus on real customer needs. He shares a structured framework for deleting vague, redundant, or low-impact ideas — ensuring only high-value, validated features remain for strategic growth.
Source: Deleting Your Backlog: A Founder’s Guide to Feature Pruning
Author: Arvid Kahl
🎙 Jason Knight and Martin Eriksson: Most PMs Aren’t Good At Strategy
Jason Knight interviews Martin Eriksson on why most PMs struggle with strategy. Many companies lack clear direction, making product strategy difficult. PMs must develop strategic skills, while leaders should empower teams instead of defaulting to “Founder mode.”
Source: 🎙 Most PMs Aren’t Good At Strategy
Authors: Jason Knight and Martin Eriksson
📯 The Great Agile Reset: Moving Beyond Frameworks in the Age of AI
Remember my article from six months ago about reinventing Hands-on Agile to counter the great Agile reset? (Just kidding; of course, you don’t.) Back then, I reflected on how to adapt my business model best, given the massive changes in the marketplace for “Agile.” (See the link below.)
Well, it’s time for an honest update, and it is not pretty.
Learn more: The Great Agile Reset: Moving Beyond Frameworks in the Age of AI.
🛠 Concepts, Tools & Measuring
John Cutler: 4 Core Product OS Design Competencies
John Cutler explores four key competencies for designing a strong product operating system: leadership influence, domain expertise, systems thinking, and operations. He highlights common pitfalls and emphasizes intentional design to create effective, adaptable processes.
Source: 4 Core Product OS Design Competencies
Author: John Cutler
Charity Majors: ‘Founder Mode and the Art of Mythmaking
Charity Majors critiques Brian Chesky’s ‘Founder Mode’ narrative, arguing that leadership isn’t about lone heroism but accountability. She dissects hypergrowth pitfalls, hiring misconceptions, and why efficiency beats empire-building in sustainable company building.
Source: ‘Founder Mode and the Art of Mythmaking
Author: Charity Majors
Teresa Torres: Making Continuous Discovery Work for You: The SPICEY Approach
Teresa Torres introduces the SPICEY framework to make continuous discovery sustainable. Instead of perfection, she advocates small, flexible habits — strategizing, prepping, implementing, customizing, embracing flexibility, and adapting discovery to fit each team’s context.
Source: Making Continuous Discovery Work for You: The SPICEY Approach
Author: Teresa Torres
🎶 Encore
🎙 Petra Wille: Launch Announcement: The ‘All Things Product’ Podcast is Live!
Petra Wille launches All Things Product, a new weekly podcast tackling one product topic at a time. The first guest, Teresa Torres, joins for candid, no-fluff discussions packed with actionable insights for product professionals.
Source: 🎙 Launch Announcement: The ‘All Things Product’ Podcast is Live!
Author: Petra Wille
📅 Training Classes, Meetups & Events 2024
Upcoming classes and events:
🖥 💯 🇬🇧 February 12–13 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Master Advanced Training (PSM II; English)
🖥 💯 🇬🇧 February 27 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills Class (PSFS; English)
🖥 💯 🇬🇧 March 6-April 3 — Live Virtual Cohort: Align, Discover, Deliver: The Product Backlog Management Cohort Class (English)
🖥 💯 🇩🇪 March 11–12 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Product Owner Training (PSPO I; German)
🖥 🇬🇧 March 26–27 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Scrum Master Advanced Training (PSM II; English)
🖥 💯 🇩🇪 April 8–9 — Live Virtual Class: Liberating Structures Workshop: Alle Stimmen hören — 8. und 9. April 2025 (German)
🖥 🇩🇪 April 10 — Live Virtual Class: Professional Product Discovery & Validation Training (PPDV; German)
👉 See all upcoming classes here
🗞️ Last Week’s Food for Agile Thought Edition
Read more: Food for Agile Thought 478: DeepSeek, Product Model OS, AI Prototyping, Agile = Delivery?.
📺 Join 6,000-plus Agile Peers on Youtube
Now available on the Age-of-Product YouTube channel:
Hands-on Agile 66: Escape the Feature Frenzy, Build to Sell with Sandrine Olivencia
Hands-on Agile 62: From Backlog Manager to Product Manager w/ David Pereira
Hands-on Agile 61: Toyota Kata Coaching for Agile Teams & Transformations with Fortune Buchholtz
Hands-on Agile 59: Tackling Fake Agility w/ Johanna Rothman
Hands-on Agile 57: Humble Planning w/ Maarten Dalmijn
Hands-on Agile Extra: How Elon Musk Would Run YOUR Business mit Joe Justice
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