Product Leadership in the AI Era: A Conversation with Instructor Laura Teclemariam
For the first time this fall, SCET will be offering a new course: ENGIN 183/283-006: Advanced Product Management: Strategy, Scale, and AI. The course will be taught by Laura Teclemariam, who is a product management executive and currently works as the senior director of product management at LinkedIn.
As AI innovation and platform disruption continue to reshape the product landscape, product leaders must strengthen their commitment to ethical product design and inclusive innovation. Especially in the face of uncertainty and shifting global markets, leaders must prioritize responsible innovation.
Through case studies, leadership simulations, and guest lectures, the new course is designed to provide students with the skills to design, scale, and lead resilient product organizations in both hypergrowth and enterprise settings. Students will also learn to adapt product strategies to both peacetime and wartime market environments, a framework for thinking about how product strategy shifts in stable versus turbulent markets.
An expert in consumer product management and interactive media technology, Teclemariam brings two decades of experience to the classroom, uniquely positioning her to help her students scale product teams effectively, embed AI responsibly, and lead with integrity.
We followed up with Laura Teclemariam to learn more about the current and future product landscape, vision for the course, and what she’s most excited about for the next generation of product leaders.
Redefining Product Leadership
As innovative technologies reshape our industries and societies, product leaders must learn to embrace ambiguity, adopt a broader skillset, and listen deeply in the world of information overload.
“Ambiguity is the thing that we’re promised. It’s the new normal, and that’s not a bad thing. Not being able to predict what’s going to happen can be healthy. As product leaders, we have to be more like systems thinkers. We have to be more ethical navigators and cultural builders.”
Rather than being a limiting factor, ambiguity calls for a new cross-functional, human-centered product orientation. The next generation of product leaders must be prepared to operate across disciplines and integrate their skill sets with those of their counterparts, including engineers and designers, in a lean environment.
Adapting to AI
Moreover, Teclemariam emphasized that, for product leaders, adjusting to AI-driven transformation , it entails more than just understanding how to use the newest AI tools—it reflects a shift in mindset, one focused on evolving workflows for greater efficiency and impact.
Furthermore, Teclemariam emphasized that the function of product leadership is changing. As information becomes increasingly readily available, it becomes increasingly necessary to learn to “tune out the noise,” which entails sharpening their analytical skills to make insightful decisions in a world where AI will continue to increase the speed at which businesses move.
“If we were thinking back to twenty years ago, we needed a product manager to be the intermediary between engineering and business. That’s no longer the function of product [management] anymore. Fast forward twenty to thirty years, we need product leaders to think more critically and be able to understand how to empower each part of the workflow.”
Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders
Laura Teclemariam felt a deep commitment to empowering the next generation of product managers to lead product organizations that will define our future and share the valuable lessons she has learned throughout her career.
“I felt that, as a leader and veteran in this industry, I have a deep responsibility to help the next generation of leaders and students not only understand the change, but to be prepared to lead that change.”
Her dedication to this mission found a home at UC Berkeley SCET. Being an alumna herself, Teclemariam noted that she “loved the culture of boldness, curiosity, and global mindset,” and was inspired to design a course that reflects these values.
“I also love that UC Berkeley is a place where innovation also means impact. This is my way of putting fuel on each student’s fire to go and change the world.”
Course Takeaways: More than Frameworks
From a practical standpoint, Teclemariam aspires to leave her students with a thorough understanding of practical frameworks to lead cross-functional teams, navigate the explosion of AI, make ethical decisions, and adjust to wartime and peacetime conditions.
On a personal level, she hopes to instill in them the importance of leading with empathy, keeping in mind the people on the other end of the product.
“I hope that students remember that they’re building products for real people, not just building for the sake of tinkering. Having empathy for who you’re building for is a very powerful thing, and a roadmap doesn’t necessarily describe that.
“I hope that each student in my class walks away finding their voice, confident that they can be a gracious, caring leader who feels empowered to shape any industry or inspire any team.”
“Having strong conviction or obsession around who you’re building for and knowing that the product could touch the globe will strengthen the student’s ability to align their vision, their values, and how they execute around that core.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Product Management
When asked about what excites her most about the future of product management, Teclemariam said that she is most inspired by the mindset shift of the next generation. Rather than simply orienting their work around what to build, today’s emerging leaders are asking themselves the ‘why’ behind the product, applying an “ethical lens combined with technical brilliance and global awareness.”
She looks forward to harnessing the potential of her students through this course.
“I believe that the brightest and the best students will create innovative products for decades to come. And so I’m more excited to see that and help cultivate that, and I’m hoping that we have a lot of fun also leveraging what we learn about AI in the process.”
For the first time this fall, SCET will be offering a new course: ENGIN 183/283-006: Advanced Product Management: Strategy, Scale, and AI. The course will be taught by Laura Teclemariam, who is a product management executive and currently works as the senior director of product management at LinkedIn.
As AI innovation and platform disruption continue to reshape the product landscape, product leaders must strengthen their commitment to ethical product design and inclusive innovation. Especially in the face of uncertainty and shifting global markets, leaders must prioritize responsible innovation.
Through case studies, leadership simulations, and guest lectures, the new course is designed to provide students with the skills to design, scale, and lead resilient product organizations in both hypergrowth and enterprise settings. Students will also learn to adapt product strategies to both peacetime and wartime market environments, a framework for thinking about how product strategy shifts in stable versus turbulent markets.
An expert in consumer product management and interactive media technology, Teclemariam brings two decades of experience to the classroom, uniquely positioning her to help her students scale product teams effectively, embed AI responsibly, and lead with integrity.
We followed up with Laura Teclemariam to learn more about the current and future product landscape, vision for the course, and what she’s most excited about for the next generation of product leaders.
Redefining Product Leadership
As innovative technologies reshape our industries and societies, product leaders must learn to embrace ambiguity, adopt a broader skillset, and listen deeply in the world of information overload.
“Ambiguity is the thing that we’re promised. It’s the new normal, and that’s not a bad thing. Not being able to predict what’s going to happen can be healthy. As product leaders, we have to be more like systems thinkers. We have to be more ethical navigators and cultural builders.”
Rather than being a limiting factor, ambiguity calls for a new cross-functional, human-centered product orientation. The next generation of product leaders must be prepared to operate across disciplines and integrate their skill sets with those of their counterparts, including engineers and designers, in a lean environment.
Adapting to AI
Moreover, Teclemariam emphasized that, for product leaders, adjusting to AI-driven transformation , it entails more than just understanding how to use the newest AI tools—it reflects a shift in mindset, one focused on evolving workflows for greater efficiency and impact.
Furthermore, Teclemariam emphasized that the function of product leadership is changing. As information becomes increasingly readily available, it becomes increasingly necessary to learn to “tune out the noise,” which entails sharpening their analytical skills to make insightful decisions in a world where AI will continue to increase the speed at which businesses move.
“If we were thinking back to twenty years ago, we needed a product manager to be the intermediary between engineering and business. That’s no longer the function of product [management] anymore. Fast forward twenty to thirty years, we need product leaders to think more critically and be able to understand how to empower each part of the workflow.”
Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders
Laura Teclemariam felt a deep commitment to empowering the next generation of product managers to lead product organizations that will define our future and share the valuable lessons she has learned throughout her career.
“I felt that, as a leader and veteran in this industry, I have a deep responsibility to help the next generation of leaders and students not only understand the change, but to be prepared to lead that change.”
Her dedication to this mission found a home at UC Berkeley SCET. Being an alumna herself, Teclemariam noted that she “loved the culture of boldness, curiosity, and global mindset,” and was inspired to design a course that reflects these values.
“I also love that UC Berkeley is a place where innovation also means impact. This is my way of putting fuel on each student’s fire to go and change the world.”
Course Takeaways: More than Frameworks
From a practical standpoint, Teclemariam aspires to leave her students with a thorough understanding of practical frameworks to lead cross-functional teams, navigate the explosion of AI, make ethical decisions, and adjust to wartime and peacetime conditions.
On a personal level, she hopes to instill in them the importance of leading with empathy, keeping in mind the people on the other end of the product.
“I hope that students remember that they’re building products for real people, not just building for the sake of tinkering. Having empathy for who you’re building for is a very powerful thing, and a roadmap doesn’t necessarily describe that.
“I hope that each student in my class walks away finding their voice, confident that they can be a gracious, caring leader who feels empowered to shape any industry or inspire any team.”
“Having strong conviction or obsession around who you’re building for and knowing that the product could touch the globe will strengthen the student’s ability to align their vision, their values, and how they execute around that core.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Product Management
When asked about what excites her most about the future of product management, Teclemariam said that she is most inspired by the mindset shift of the next generation. Rather than simply orienting their work around what to build, today’s emerging leaders are asking themselves the ‘why’ behind the product, applying an “ethical lens combined with technical brilliance and global awareness.”
She looks forward to harnessing the potential of her students through this course.
“I believe that the brightest and the best students will create innovative products for decades to come. And so I’m more excited to see that and help cultivate that, and I’m hoping that we have a lot of fun also leveraging what we learn about AI in the process.”