PM Mode

PM Mode — shipping things that almost matter.

PRD locked. Designer in revolt. North Star drifting.

Launch PM Mode

What you'll see

PM Mode is the texture of being responsible for outcomes you don't control. You hold the roadmap and the calendar; engineering holds the velocity; design holds the vibes; the CEO holds the vision. Your job is to make it look like all of those are aligned. The PRD has been in review for nine days. The north-star metric is doing fine, definitionally.

Sample emails
CEO: Re: roadmap
I redid the prioritization in a Loom.
Eng Lead: Re: scoping
This is a 6-week project, not a 2-week one.
Designer: Still waiting
Still waiting on the JTBD canvas.
Sample chat
#roadmap
PRD got rewritten in a Loom
#ship-it
ship date moved. again.
#design-review
we are 14 versions deep on a hover state
Sample crises
Critical
PRD got rewritten in a Loom.
Critical
Designer threatening to attach the JTBD canvas.
Critical
Customer council is in revolt.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a real product manager simulator?

It's a parody fake-PM simulator. No actual PRDs are written, no actual sprints are committed to, no actual designers are asking what problem you're solving. The roadmap-shipping anxiety is texturally accurate.

Who is PM Mode for?

Current PMs who need a laugh between roadmap reviews, former PMs who escaped, founders who want to understand what their PMs are actually doing all day, and anyone who's ever received a Loom from their CEO that rewrote the strategy.

Does it actually have a PRD?

Symbolically. The KPI you watch is days to ship, which moves around as scope changes. The PRD has been in review for nine days. The north-star metric is doing fine, definitionally.

Does this prep me for PM interviews?

No. Real PM interview prep is somewhere else. This is the after — what life feels like once you're in the seat and the designer is asking what problem you're solving.

Other modes