Since starting his career at Microsoft as a program manager in 2017, Rishab Jolly has steadily advanced to a senior role, finding fulfillment in orchestrating cross-functional collaboration to deliver successful products. Based in Washington, Jolly describes his job as the connective link among engineering, marketing, and business teams, tasked with both conceptualizing product features and overseeing their journey from development to customer delivery.
Jolly’s academic and professional background lays a strong foundation for his current integration of artificial intelligence into daily tasks. He originally earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering in India and subsequently gained four years of experience as a software engineer at firms employing AI and machine learning technologies before the advent of large language models. Moving to the United States in 2015 to pursue an MBA, he transitioned into program management at Microsoft two years later.
As AI tools have become more accessible, Jolly has eagerly incorporated them into his processes, viewing himself as an early adopter dedicated to expanding his skillset with AI capabilities. He emphasizes that the technology has enabled him to reclaim valuable time previously devoted to routine tasks, allowing greater focus on strategy and prioritization.
One significant area where AI has made an impact is in managing the extensive volume of meetings that program managers typically attend. Previously, Jolly compiled notes manually to capture action items and decisions. Now, AI-powered note-taking applications facilitate automatic transcription and summary, freeing him to engage in higher-level thinking and team coordination.
In addition to meetings, crafting detailed documents to clarify product goals and priorities is a core responsibility for Jolly. He leverages AI to generate initial drafts quickly, which he then refines and tailors with his professional judgment before circulating among engineering teams. This hybrid approach balances efficiency gains from automation with the necessity of nuanced human oversight.
Beyond professional uses, AI also complements Jolly’s personal interests. Together with his wife, who also works in technology, he launched the "Curious Souls" podcast in 2022. The show explores product management, artificial intelligence, fitness, and other subjects through conversations with guest speakers.
Preparation for the podcast previously involved time-intensive tasks such as researching trending topics by soliciting feedback from the product management community and identifying potential participants. Jolly now expedites these efforts by prompting large language models to analyze platforms like Reddit for popular discussions pertinent to PMs and to generate preliminary scripts.
He even uses AI to create audio renderings of these scripts, which he listens to during daily drives, enabling reflection on how the podcast might be shaped. Although he dedicates four to five hours each weekend to the podcast, AI assistance has multiplied his productivity, allowing greater allocation of time to editing content and personal activities such as family commitments.
Jolly notes that experimenting with AI in low-risk settings like podcasting has revealed both its strengths and limitations. For instance, AI-generated content sometimes includes inaccuracies such as placeholder links that do not correspond to real sources. Consequently, he regards AI outputs as initial drafts that require diligent verification and editing.
This experience informs his careful approach to AI adoption at work, balancing the benefits of automation with critical human evaluation. He advocates for professionals, especially program managers, to familiarize themselves with AI tools early by applying them not only in business contexts but also in personal projects that carry minimal risk.
Regarding the future of program management, Jolly anticipates that proficiency with AI applications will become a standard expectation. Rather than viewing AI with apprehension, he encourages embracing it as a means to expedite workflows and enhance decision-making capabilities. Despite AI's growing presence, he asserts that the essence of the role—demonstrating empathy toward customers and making judgment calls—will remain distinctly human.
Ultimately, Jolly believes AI will serve as a vital instrument to augment, not replace, the function of program managers. His advice to colleagues is to engage actively with AI technologies now to realize their potential benefits promptly and effectively.