What Taekwondo Taught Me About AI PM
AI Product Management isn’t just about roadmaps or models.
It’s about mindset. And perspective.
Let me explain.
I was 10 years old when my mom enrolled me in a small Taekwondo studio in Queens, NY, after getting bullied in school.
I didn’t know it then, but that decision would shape the rest of my life.
What is Taekwondo?
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art focused on discipline, agility, and precision.
By 13, I was teaching black belt classes.
By 17, I was a national competitor.
Accolades
🥇 3x NY State Champion
🥉 Junior Olympic Bronze Medalist
🇨🇦 Canadian Open Black Belt Champion
Every week, we trained under a single mantra:
“Discipline. Perseverance. Mind over body. Finish what you start. Respect.”
Fast-forward to today—I lead AI product teams.
And here’s the truth: AI PM is a combat sport.
↳ You’re not fighting people.
↳ You’re fighting ambiguity.
↳ You’re negotiating with stakeholders, engineering constraints, and business deadlines.
↳ You get knocked down. Get up smarter.
↳ You fail fast. Adapt.
The Lessons I Brought With Me
Mind over model → PMs don’t need to know every algorithm. You need to know how to ask better questions.
Finish what you start → Always be shipping—ship the feature. Ship the insight. Run an AB Test. Don’t leave work half-baked in dev.
Discipline over drama → Hype fades. Results win. Stay grounded my friends.
Respect earns trust → Especially with researchers, engineers, and skeptical stakeholders. Talk is cheap—delivery is King 👑
So when a senior exec drops “just one more thing” on Friday? I smile 😊
Because I remember surviving 6 back-to-back full-contact sparring matches to earn my black belt.
Comparatively, AI PM is easy...
We used to say:
“Train hard, fight easy.”
In AI PM, I say:
“Think Big, Ship Fast.”
👊🏼 High Performance Taekwondo was the name of my dojo.
It's still the mindset I bring into every War Room today.
AI PM isn’t about building smarter tech.
It’s about becoming the best version of yourself.
