The non-technical PM’s guide to building with Cursor | Zevi Arnovitz (Meta)

Overview

This episode features Zevi Arnovitz, a non-technical product manager at Meta, who has mastered the art of building and shipping sophisticated products using AI tools like Cursor. Zevi shares his complete workflow, which empowers non-technical individuals to create real products, leveraging multiple AI models and innovative techniques like peer reviews. He also discusses how AI can be a game-changer for junior professionals and shares insights into using AI for job interview preparation.

Notable Quotes

- It's not that you will be replaced by AI, you'll be replaced by someone who's better at using AI than you. – Lenny Rachitsky

- If people walk away thinking how amazing you are, you've failed. If people walk away and open their computer and start building, you've succeeded. – Zevi Arnovitz, on inspiring others to take action.

- Titles are going to collapse, and responsibilities are going to collapse. Everyone's just going to become a builder. – Zevi Arnovitz, on the future of work in tech.

🚀 Building Products as a Non-Technical PM

- Zevi uses Cursor, an AI-powered coding tool, to build products without writing code.

- His workflow includes creating reusable slash commands for tasks like creating issues, exploring ideas, planning, executing, reviewing, and updating documentation.

- He emphasizes starting with simpler tools like ChatGPT before graduating to more advanced platforms like Cursor.

- Zevi’s workflow includes using multiple AI models for different tasks: Claude for planning, Gemini for UI design, and Codex for debugging.

🤝 Peer Review with AI Models

- Zevi employs a unique peer review process where different AI models review each other’s code.

- He uses slash commands to prompt one AI model to critique another’s work, ensuring higher code quality.

- Each AI model is treated as a team member with specific strengths: Claude as the collaborative CTO, Codex as the reclusive coding expert, and Gemini as the creative designer.

📚 AI as a Learning Partner

- Zevi uses AI not just for execution but as a learning tool. His learning opportunity slash command prompts AI to explain technical concepts in a digestible way.

- He views AI as a mentor, helping him understand complex topics and improve his skills as a PM.

- Zevi believes that AI allows junior professionals to gain experience and operate at a higher level than traditionally possible.

🎓 Using AI for Job Interview Preparation

- Zevi used AI to prepare for his Meta PM interviews by creating a project in Claude that acted as his coach.

- He conducted mock interviews with AI, received feedback, and even built a quiz game to practice segmentation questions.

- He combined AI preparation with human mock interviews for a comprehensive approach.

🌟 Why This is the Best Time to Be a Junior in Tech

- Zevi argues that despite a challenging job market, AI tools enable juniors to build startups or side projects independently, gaining valuable experience.

- He encourages leveraging AI to learn, experiment, and create, emphasizing that curiosity, optimism, and hard work are key to thriving in this era.

- Zevi highlights the importance of being a 10X learner rather than a 10X doer, especially for those early in their careers.