What scaling teams get wrong about automation

The Intercom PM on pattern-spotting, instinct, and where AI helps judgment rather than replacing it.

Intuition is real. It’s also fragile. It works when you’re close to the work and have room to breathe. It falls apart when you’re stretched thin and drowning in Slack. We sat down with PM Emily Cline to talk about where AI fits into that picture, and where it honestly doesn’t.

The patterns hide in the pile

The signals that matter are rarely loud. The same question from three customers in a week. A competitor quietly retiring a feature. A pricing change that only makes sense if you know what’s coming next.

They’re all there. You’re just too buried to notice them, and that’s not a you problem, it’s a volume problem.

AI isn’t the enemy of instinct

Some people worry that handing work to AI dulls your judgment. Emily’s take, and ours, is the opposite. Clear away the busywork and the noise, and you finally have room to think. That’s exactly when the gut kicks back in.

“The best product decisions I’ve made came from noticing something small and trusting it. AI doesn’t make that call for me. It just makes sure I actually see the small thing in the first place.”

What we’re building toward

We’re not trying to replace your judgment. We’re trying to hand it better raw material. So when your gut says “something’s shifting here,” you can point to exactly why, and bring everyone else along.

Thanks to Emily for the conversation. More Bronn Conversations soon.