When You Need a Product Manager But You ARE the Product Manager

Have you ever found yourself three hours deep into a supposedly simple coding session only to realize that not a single line of code has been written? I sure have. Staring at my task board in Vikunja, I was paralyzed by decision fatigue—torn between starting on the API client, building the MCP server structure, hammering out the database schemas, or sorting out error handling patterns. Each option whispered equal importance, yet none seemed truly actionable. Sound familiar?

For high-performing engineers grappling with ADHD, that moment when executive function fades while technical skills remain razor-sharp is all too common.

The Lightbulb Moment: Stop Coding, Start Planning

Rather than fighting the paralysis (trust me, it never works), I did something counterintuitive—I stopped coding and began asking for help. But with no product manager, project manager, or tech lead around to break down requirements, I was left wearing all occasional hats myself.

Then it hit me: What if I enqueued an AI to act as my temporary product management team?

Using AI as Your Product Manager: The Meta-Solution

I opened a conversation with Claude and said something along the lines of:

I need you to be my product manager. I'm building an AI assistant for ADHD high performers, but I'm stuck because I need someone to define exactly what to build and in what order.

What happened next was nothing short of magical. Instead of generic project management advice, Claude asked the exact questions I needed:

  • What problem are you really solving?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • What does success look like?
  • What constraints are you facing?

By answering these, I received a complete product specification and a week-by-week project plan with clear, actionable deliverables.

Key Deliverables from the AI Conversation

Here’s what I walked away with:

  • Clear Scope Boundaries: I finally knew what needed concentration and what could wait.
  • Weekly Goals: Specific, attainable tasks to drive progression.
  • Concrete Acceptance Criteria: Clear definitions of done that aligned with my vision.
  • Risk Mitigation Strategies: Pre-planned counters to potential roadblocks.

What High Performers With ADHD Actually Need

This experience crystallized an important lesson: We don’t need more tools. We need better decision-making support. Often at work, ADHD engineers thrive with:

  • Product managers setting clear requirements.
  • Project managers breaking tasks into manageable chunks.
  • Tech leads making architectural decisions.
  • Scrum masters providing structure and accountability.

But in personal projects, wearing all of these hats can be both overwhelming and paralyzing.

The Future of Personal Productivity: Cognitive Augmentation

Imagine being able to ask:

“I have 90 minutes and medium energy. What should I work on next?”

And receiving a tailored response:

“Focus on the authentication refactor. It’s your peak coding time, this task demands your analytical mode, and finishing it will unblock several other tasks.”

That’s not just task management—it’s cognitive augmentation.

Each time I consult Claude to prioritize features or break down tasks, I’m not merely planning my next steps; I’m learning how to harness AI to enhance my own executive functioning. Essentially, I’m using the very tools I’m building to prototype solutions for the struggle that many of us face.

Building the Thing While Being the Thing

This journey is as recursive as it is innovative. Instead of diving straight into code, I paused to seek structure and clarity. That pause not only helped me pinpoint actionable steps but also deeply informed the user experience I aim to design.

Here are some takeaways from this process:

  • External structure fuels internal creativity: When you have clear steps, the creativity naturally follows.
  • Defined deliverables keep overwhelm at bay: Specific goals transform abstract ideas into tangible progress.
  • AI can act as an extension of your executive function: The right questions lead to the right answers.

My DevOps Philosophy and Beyond

In my experience as a DevOps engineer, I’ve always believed that the best systems are those designed to solve their own challenges. Whether it’s using ArgoCD for continuous delivery or Helm for Kubernetes configuration, my approach has always been to lean on the tools available—and sometimes, to let these tools guide the very process of creation.

As an Israel-based DevOps engineer with a global mindset, I’m keenly aware that high performance and neurodivergence are not mutually exclusive. Instead, we need personalized support systems that recognize our unique strengths.

What’s Next

Over the next eight weeks, I’ll continue to build this AI-powered personal assistant. I invite you to follow along as I:

  • Document each development step.
  • Share insights about neurodivergent productivity.
  • Explore the intersection of technology and executive function.

Whether you’re an engineer, a technologist, or someone navigating the challenges of ADHD, I’d love to hear about your productivity patterns. What systems or support have helped you excel? Let me know in the comments.

Together, we’re not just building products—we’re pioneering ways to build better, more adaptive environments for all high performers.

Happy coding, planning, and optimizing!