How to Balance Speed and Value: The Essential Role of Empathy in the AI Product Era (with Megan O'Rourke, Executive Director of Product at Metalab)

The Product Manager

The Tin Man’s silk heart in The Wizard of Oz is a perfect metaphor for AI right now—it can convincingly mimic empathy, but it’s not the real thing. In this episode, Hannah Clark sits down with Megan O’Rourke, Executive Director of Product at Metalab, to explore the delicate balance between AI-powered productivity and human-driven resonance. They dive into why empathy and storytelling are irreplaceable in both product development and leadership, and the risks we run if we trade them away for efficiency.

Megan shares stories from the field, frameworks for deciding when AI belongs in the workflow, and practical ways leaders can embed human connection into their teams’ processes. From reading the silence in a meeting to designing for emotional moments, this conversation is all about building products—and cultures—that people can truly connect with.

Resources from this episode:

• Subscribe to The Product Manager newsletter
• Connect with Megan on LinkedIn
• Check out Metalab

Chapters

1. The Tin Man's Allegory for AI (00:00:00)

2. Building Empathy in Product Design (00:07:32)

3. Balancing AI and Human-Led Processes (00:14:21)

4. Does This Product Deserve to Exist? (00:24:50)

5. Storytelling in the Product Development Process (00:32:56)

6. Three Actionable Steps for Product Leaders (00:38:59)