The Rise Of Forward Deployed PMs

The Rise of Forward Deployed PMs Product managers are leaving the roadmap and moving into the field. Is this the next evolution of the PM role? Join ProductTank for an evening talk with Rukmini Baruah, Head of Product Operations & AI Solutions at Akido, on the rise of the Forward Deployed PM. These product managers embed directly with customers and users to ship AI that actually works in the real world. Rukmini brings 15+ years of experience scaling teams, systems and products across venture-backed startups and complex organizations. At Akido, the first AI-native health system in the US, she works hand-in-hand with clinicians to bring AI into real patient care. Before that, she built and led Product Operations through hypergrowth at Carbon Health and was employee #7 at HyreCar, where she helped take the company public. She was recently shortlisted for Product Leader of the Year 2026 by the Product-Led Alliance. In this session, Rukmini will share: why AI products are pulling PMs closer to customers and end users than ever before; what she has learned building AI alongside the people who use it every day; how the forward deployed model differs from traditional product management, and the skills PMs need to thrive in it. Whether you’re a product manager, founder, builder, or curious about where the PM role is headed, this talk will offer practical insights into one of the most interesting shifts in product today. Sponsor: We’re grateful to SuperPenguin (https://superpenguin.ai/) for sponsoring this event. SuperPenguin gives every company its own AI optimization team, helping teams get set up in less than 5 minutes and start getting more done per dollar. Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/producttank-silicon-valley