Let’s be honest, it’s a tough time to be on a product team. Most product professionals (85%) feel like they finally have a real voice in their company. They’re at the table when big decisions are made.
But at the same time, the pressure to deliver results and spark innovation has never been higher. And here’s the kicker: a staggering 84% of product teams are worried that the products they’re working on right now might not succeed in the market.
Head of Product at Atlassian.
Why is confidence slipping? For starters, nearly half of product teams say they don’t have enough time for the things that matter most like planning, experimenting, or mapping out their product’s future.
Without that breathing room, teams are left “flying blind,” unable to connect their day-to-day work to bigger business goals or make smart, informed choices.
And while AI is great at handling repetitive tasks, it’s not yet helping with the really important stuff, like deciding what to build next, planning ahead, or digging into complex data. That means product teams are still stuck doing the heavy lifting on the work that actually needs their expertise.
But there’s hope. By using AI to take care of the busywork, teams can free up time to collaborate, experiment, and make decisions based on real data, not just gut feelings or outside pressure.
Collaboration: The secret sauce (and the struggle)
Ask anyone on a product team what they love most about their job, and chances are they’ll say “working with others.”
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. In fact, almost 50% of product people say that internal politics get in the way, leading to missed chances and last-minute surprises. Lack of cross-team collaboration is a top concern, and it’s taking a real toll on teams’ ability to deliver.
Great products don’t happen in a vacuum: they’re built when teams work together across different roles and departments. That’s why rebuilding trust and confidence starts with better collaboration.
AI can help here, too. By bringing all the information teams need into one place, AI makes it easier for everyone, from product managers to engineers, to stay on the same page. When everyone has visibility, product teams can make smarter decisions from the start, and it’s easier for everyone to agree on what matters most.
Experimentation: The missing ingredient
Another big reason product teams are feeling shaky? There’s just not enough time or encouragement to experiment. 40% of teams say they rarely get to try new things, and even among those who do, only about a third make experimentation a regular part of their process.
Even more worrying, 80% of product managers don’t involve engineers in early enough to check if their ideas are actually feasible.
What does this mean in practice? Teams are making big bets without enough proof that those bets will pay off. Instead of failing fast and learning quickly, they end up investing too much time and energy in ideas that might not work, making failure even more costly.
AI can help speed up experimentation by running tests faster, analyzing results on the fly, and spotting patterns in the data that might otherwise go unnoticed. When teams have the freedom to experiment, they’re more likely to stop bad bets early to make way for the successful ones.
How AI can really help
Right now, most teams use AI for the basics, like automating documentation or other routine tasks. But what they really want is for AI to help with the tough stuff: thinking strategically, planning, and making sense of complex problems.
The trouble is, many teams struggle to see how AI fits into their day-to-day work, especially when it doesn’t play nicely with other tools they use.
Leaders have a big role to play here. Teams need clear guidance on how to use AI for the work that really matters. When leaders support their teams and involve them in important decisions, those teams have the space and confidence to focus on high-impact work. That’s when product management really shines.
Turning ideas into action
Product teams are in a tricky spot: they have more influence than ever, but less confidence that they’re building the right things. Time crunches, siloed teamwork, and not enough room to experiment are all chipping away at their certainty.
And while AI is often seen as the answer, most companies haven’t figured out how to use it in ways that truly help teams think bigger and act smarter.
AI is changing the way we work, but we’re still figuring out the best ways to use it. The way forward? Double down on collaboration, use AI to support strategic work, not just busywork, and keep experimenting. That’s how product teams can get their confidence back and build products that win.
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