From the minds of Product and PLG pros we asked, it looks like we're all in for a treat in 2024 đź”® The year is shaping up to be the year when AI becomes our go-to tech buddy, speeding up everything from our mobile interactions to how efficient we are at getting things done at work e.g. more time for creativity!
Apple is anticipated to make significant strides with a localized large language model, potentially transforming our interactions with mobile devices. This aligns with the broader trend of AI personal assistants becoming more proactive and context-aware, moving towards a model where our devices understand and anticipate our needs (watch the movie "Her" if you haven't already).
Another common thread amongst the predictions is the focus on creating real value, with SaaS companies expected to pursue sustainable growth and profitability, underpinned by a return to fundamental business practices and customer-centric strategies.
These shifts towards tech that's not just cool but truly useful shows we're all aboard for a smarter, more delightful tech journey this year. We love to see it 🌟
Compliance and governance for customer data will hit a fever pitch.
Conversational AI. Not just a user asking AI to do something, but AI prompting the user to answer questions and either giving feedback or asking another question to dive deeper (see rosebud.app for a great example of this)
A more intelligent chatbot and agent, the kind similar to the one featured in movie "Her", but not quite as advanced—where people will rely more on AI to help them navigate their work and life
Broadly speaking, I think the top-of-funnel landscape will fundamentally shift, even for companies with sales-led models. We've already seen a wave of new intent signal platforms, PQL automation tools, automation of outbounding with AI, etc... I think 2024 is the year when, if you haven't already adopted these new practices, you will (or get left behind).
The industrial metaverse as we find it's breaking into the enterprise tools more
The way tech is moving forward, I am very bullish over VR and AR. It's not that these aren't already here and stable (especially VR), but I believe there is going to exponential growth and adoption here.
As most companies strive for profitability, an intense focus on customer-centric strategies will become a priority. Consequently, customer experience platforms and customer data platforms, both enhanced by AI, are expected to be in high demand.
Prompt based videos, AI-controlled marketing agencies, all-in-one AI assistants, and the replacement of Siri and Alexa
Consumerization of B2B SaaS will continue to happen. In particular, acquisition channels will be more and more inspired by channels traditionally used by B2C. Among those, I predict that video will become a key acquisition channel in B2B SaaS.
I think we'll see a return to the principles of being lean, allowing people to be better generalists
I think the integration of AI into DXA tools will be massive. One of the main challenges with session replay, heatmaps, or UX data, in general, is getting actionable next steps. I can see AI features performing meta-analysis and providing helpful suggestions about areas to improve.
We asked our followers and friends, "What percentage of products will have AI features by the end of 2024".
Last year, Airbnb made waves by morphing the traditional role of a PM with marketing—LinkedIn was a-buzz with people heralding the end of the PM role. We asked you how you all think the role will change in 2024. Spoiler: the PM role isn't going anywhere soon, but the tea leaves say it will likely change…
The spotlight in 2024 is predicted to be on customer needs, with a renewed emphasis on user outcomes and business goals, where agility meets practicality.
Expect to see a divide in roles: consumer sectors might see a reduced need for traditional PMs, while B2B stays the course, albeit with senior, AI-empowered PMs tackling strategy over routine tasks.
The "one-size-fits-all" concept won't fly anymore; PM roles will vary widely across organizations. A key constant? The role of the PM as the organizational "aligner", identifying product opportunities and needs. They'll become more data-driven—adding Go-To-Market strategies to their toolkit, and embracing roles that blend product management with product marketing.
Finally, our future-tellers predict that tech-savviness will be non-negotiable. PMs are expected to deepen their understanding of AI, shifting the limits of product development to the realms of imagination. A "full-stack" approach awaits, where PMs oversee various business aspects—and evolve into masters of all.
“If anything, the role of PMs will only grow more focused on product adoption and retention as we continue to be in a space where companies are cutting budget/software tools. It will be that much more pertinent for our tool to stay at the top for us to keep our retention/feature offerings at their strongest.”
“They'll increasingly assume a broader range of responsibilities, acting as the connective tissue within their teams. This evolution positions them as 'full-stack' product managers or general managers, overseeing diverse aspects of the business.”
“A deep understanding of your customer, competitive landscape, and where the market is going is more critical than ever as SaaS grows increasingly crowded. If a PM does not already have a handle on these insights from their partnership with PMM, then yes, absolutely—they will need to step into more of a marketing mindset. ”
"PMs will need to have a closer ear to customer pain points and tighter alignment with post-sales/CS teams"
“I think there will remain a need for someone to play the role of "aligner" within an org and to identify needs/opportunities for a product.”
“PMs will have to adapt to a world where they don't have every resource imaginable and rely on must-haves vs nice-to-haves”
“ I don't think the role will change, but I do think experience with AI will continue to be in demand”
Finally, we asked you all what you're looking forward to in 2024—from trips abroad to product launches—we loved hearing your answers and wish you all the luck for the year ahead.
“I'm excited about us further developing our product analytics features. We just launched multiple dashboards with preset templates and it has really well received by our users but this is just the start...”
“Further automating busy work for myself and our team, so we can focus on bigger creative projects”
“Excited to run a lot of experiments this year! Our product is so early that it's tough to talk about specific features, but from an outcomes perspective, I'm super excited to help people create an environment that allows their family to grieve them in a healthy way when they're no longer around.”
“A UI refresh of our product suite to stay ahead of the times ”
“Shipping a book about building generative AI products and continue this conversation with industry practitioners!”
“We're excited to build out our Community platform for Segment customers. A whole new channel for us to drive engagement and listen to customers!”
With Chameleon—you don't need to take bets on your growth. Confidently drive engagement and revenue with smart and scalable in-app UX.
