In a recent LinkedIn post, Melissa Perri discusses the evolving role of product operations in the age of artificial intelligence, arguing that AI will significantly change, rather than eliminate, the function.
Melissa Perri addresses the common concern among product leaders about AI potentially making their operations teams redundant. Instead, she urges them to consider how AI can elevate the responsibilities of these teams.
“Instead of worrying about whether AI will eliminate their ops teams, product leaders should be asking what those teams will focus on instead.”
The Shifting Focus of Product Operations
Melissa Perri highlights that product operations teams have historically been burdened with time-consuming, tactical tasks such as aggregating data from disparate tools like Jira and Amplitude, synthesizing research, and creating status reports. She posits that AI is well-suited to take over these responsibilities.
“AI can handle this work, and it should,” Melissa Perri states, emphasizing that offloading these tasks is crucial for freeing up valuable human capital.
From Tactical Execution to Strategic Enablement
According to Melissa Perri, this automation allows product ops teams to pivot towards higher-value activities that machines cannot replicate. These include facilitating strategic discussions, identifying bottlenecks in cross-functional workflows, nurturing stakeholder relationships, and applying critical judgment to complex decision-making processes.
Melissa Perri shared an anecdote illustrating this shift: “I worked with a team that automated their weekly metrics dashboard. Suddenly, they had 15 extra hours to spend on what actually mattered: helping product leaders and PMs make better decisions faster.”
The Strategic Advantage of AI Adoption
Melissa Perri argues that product operations teams that proactively embrace AI tools will transition from mere tactical execution to strategic enablement. This means performing different, more impactful work with the same team size.
“Product ops that embraces AI tools will shift from tactical execution to strategic enablement, doing different, higher-value work with the same team.”
The implication for businesses is significant. Melissa Perri contends that companies that adapt to this new reality early will gain a substantial competitive edge. Conversely, those that lag behind risk keeping their teams mired in manual, low-impact tasks while their competitors advance.
Embracing Change for Future Success
Melissa Perri’s analysis suggests a proactive approach is necessary. The future of product operations lies not in resisting AI, but in strategically integrating it to enhance the team’s capacity for strategic thinking and decision support.
“The companies that figure this out early will have a massive advantage. Those that don’t will keep their teams stuck in spreadsheets while competitors race ahead.”
In essence, Melissa Perri’s insights on LinkedIn provide a forward-looking perspective, encouraging product leaders to view AI as a catalyst for transforming their operations teams into more strategic partners within the organization.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Melissa Perri on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on March 2, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →