1. The shift from programs to products starts with better problem statements

Most HR teams are still operating in a program mindset — annual planning, quarterly execution, and an ever-growing backlog. But in a product world, that approach breaks down fast.

The shift starts with getting painfully specific about the problem you’re solving. Not “improve onboarding,” but something like: How do we increase product adoption among new hires in their first 30 days?

That level of clarity unlocks everything else — metrics, experiments, and ultimately, better solutions.

“If you’re really building products, you need really specific problem statements that you fall in love with.”

Without that clarity, you’re just building features in search of a problem.

2. “Vibe coding” is changing who gets to build — and how fast

One of the biggest unlocks: you no longer need to wait on engineering.

Zachary shared how a small team — none of them engineers — built an AI onboarding agent in three days and shipped it in two weeks. That same project was previously estimated to take months.

That’s the shift: HR teams can now go from idea → prototype → live product faster than ever.

“Everybody can be a builder… we built the core thing in three days.”

3. HR teams need to rethink how they work — not just what they build

You can’t build products in between back-to-back meetings.

Moving to a product mindset requires new ways of working: deep focus time, rapid iteration, and continuous user feedback. It’s less about managing stakeholders and more about building, testing, and refining.

That also means upgrading how you gather insights. Surveys aren’t enough anymore — you need real user interaction with real products.

“You cannot vibe code a product running in between meetings all day… you’ve got to block time and go deep.”

The operating model has to evolve alongside the tools.

4. The bar for “good” HR products is much higher now

When anyone can build, the differentiator becomes quality.

Zachary emphasized that products need to feel like a no-brainer to the user — intuitive, valuable, and immediately useful. If you have to convince people to use it, it’s probably not good enough.

“The product has to be so freaking good that you put it in front of a user and they’re like, ‘Of course I’d use that.’”

This is a big shift from traditional HR rollouts, where adoption often depended on mandates instead of product-market fit.

5. The real barrier to AI adoption isn’t skill — it’s mindset

Despite all the hype, most people still aren’t using AI tools regularly — and even fewer are building with them.

Zachary’s take is simple: it’s not a capability problem, it’s a mindset problem. People are hesitant, unsure, or waiting for clearer direction.

But the opportunity is already here.

“It’s a classic innovator’s dilemma for your career… you either lean in or you put your head in the sand.”

The gap between those who experiment and those who don’t is only going to widen.

6. The best way to start? Solve something small and annoying

You don’t need a big transformation initiative to get started.

Pick a small, frustrating task in your day-to-day work — something repetitive or time-consuming — and try to solve it with AI. That’s where the learning happens.

“Think about a thing you do that’s really annoying… go tackle it.”

From there, you build momentum. And once you start, it’s hard to go back.

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