Zero to GenAI Product Leader: The complete playbook for AI product management in the GenAI and Agentic AI era

Zero to GenAI Product Leader is a practical, human, and strategic guide to mastering product management in the era of Generative AI and Agentic AI. Whether you’re breaking into GenAI product management, sharpening your skills as a AI product manager, or building AI-powered products from the ground up, this book gives you the mental models, tools, and confidence to thrive in AI-driven environments.

Written by Saumil Shrivastava—a product leader with experience driving AI platform initiatives at Microsoft, mentor to hundreds of product management aspirants, and alumnus of the Ross School of Business and IIT Bombay—this book distills real-world insight into a clear, actionable playbook for anyone building or aspiring to build AI-powered products.

Who should read this book

• Aspiring product managers who want to break in with an AI edge.
• Experienced PMs who aim to scale their impact and stay relevant in an AI-first world.
• Career switchers from engineering, design, data science, or non-technical backgrounds transitioning into AI PM roles.
• Founders and leaders building AI-powered products who need practical frameworks to guide teams.

What you’ll get out of reading

• Step-by-step guidance to break into product management or transition into AI product roles.
• Clear explanations of Generative AI, AI agents, and orchestration applied to real product decisions.
• Practical playbooks for leading cross-functional teams on AI-native products.
• How to navigate evolving roles, expectations, and skills in the AI era.
• Common pitfalls to avoid and tactics to accelerate career growth.
• Career maps and GenAI PM interview preparation to land high-impact roles.
• Real-world case studies to make smarter product and go-to-market decisions.

Why this book

In an era where every product is becoming an AI product, PMs need more than buzzwords—they need clarity, judgment, and the confidence to lead. Zero to GenAI Product Leader was written to cut through the hype and provide grounded, real-world guidance for navigating this shift.

You won’t find fluffy frameworks or recycled advice here. Instead, this book draws on the author’s own transition from traditional product roles to leading GenAI initiatives at Microsoft—alongside years of mentoring aspiring PMs and helping them grow into confident, AI-literate leaders. If you're serious about breaking into AI product management or leveling up your impact, this book is your fast lane.

Saumil Shrivastava is a product leader at Microsoft, where he helps shape the future of Generative and Agentic AI on the Azure AI Platform. He works at the intersection of cutting-edge research, large language models, and developer tooling-empowering startups and enterprises to build and scale real-world GenAI solutions. He also leads Foundry Labs, a Microsoft initiative connecting developers with emerging innovations from Microsoft Research.With over a decade of experience launching products across startups and Big Tech, Saumil has driven cross-functional AI initiatives and coached hundreds of aspiring and practicing product managers globally-offering structured guidance on career transitions, interviews, and breaking into AI product roles.His latest book, Zero to GenAI Product Leader, is a practical, strategic guide for navigating the AI shift in product management-from foundational skills to real-world execution. He is also the author of Roller Coaster Ride, a coming-of-age fiction novel exploring ambition and self-discovery.Saumil earned his MBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and his engineering degree from IIT Bombay. Beyond product leadership, he shares reflections on career, well-being, and intentional living through platforms like @GoodVibesBySam, LinkedIn (@saumilshri), Medium (@saumil23) and Twitter (@sam1983).