Product people: don't be afraid of a script

Talking with Paulo Chiodi (spoiler?) about #genAI and the product world… Is it worth having lots of tools on my belt? Yes. Is it worth knowing ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini really well? Yes. If I had to prioritize one of the two strategies? I prioritized the latter.

My feeling was this: it’s impossible to keep up with all the products packaging these foundation models. I preferred to learn well how to use the foundation model for everything. I even talk openly about this change in mindset.

Before, when I needed to change a color in an image, reduce a file’s size or convert a file to another format… I’d look for a SaaS — no-code, cough cough — to do it. Today I open Google Colab and ask Gemini to generate the code for me. It’s much faster and I have much more control.

That’s why I tell product people… Don’t be afraid of a script! Building an entire app? I’m still afraid of that with just one person who can’t code plus the foundation models, BUT writing a script is ALREADY very much a reality.

Originally written in Portuguese and published on LinkedIn on January 15, 2025. I translated it into English with the help of AI (Claude): it let me bring my LinkedIn posts to people who don’t read Portuguese without rewriting each one from scratch. I reviewed the translation to keep my original meaning and tone.