Episode 42 / Oct 17, 2026

Congratulations, AI just made you a player/coach

AI helps us do more work, and take on new kinds of work, but that also means expectations for managers are changing.

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Show notes

Summary

A player/coach is a manager that leads a team, managing other people's work, but also does that same type of work themselves, as part of the team.

That's not a new management concept, as any founder or owner/operator knows, but there are also a lot of team leaders who haven't done on-the-ground work in a while, and AI is rapidly changing expectations for them.

AI gives you the ability to do more work, and completely new types of work, even without prior experience. If you're not careful, AI can create a second job for you.

But that also means leaders higher up than you in your company are developing new expectations about output, even if they don't understand the details of what's possible, and what's not, with AI.

In this episode, Eric and John define the player/coach role, break down how expectations are changing and the danger that can create for managers who aren't prepared, then give practical advice on how to navigate leadership and individual work when AI is part of your toolset.

Key takeaways

You're probably a player/coach, even if that isn't explicit: AI creates leverage, and your boss will always want more leverage. You should plan to work like a player coach, even if your job description didn't change.
You can (and should) choose where to apply the leverage: The good news is that as a manager, you can choose what type of work you want to do with AI, so choose something that interests you.
You have to budget time for learning: AI changes fast, and you not only need to know how to use it yourself, but you need to know how your team is using it (or isn't). That requires time, so make sure to skip those optional meetings and block out intentional learning time.

Notable mentions and links

Eric and John note that only a few years ago, Cursor's auto-complete feature was the talk of the AI town. Now, cursor can deploy fleets of agents to do autonomous work. Things change fast.
Eric uses the process behind Vercel's AI Gateway Production Index as an example of one person using AI to do an immense amount of work that would have previously involved multiple other people and meetings.

Every word of the conversation

Transcript

Find a word or phrase

00:00:00,060 --> 00:00:13,860 [Eric]

[upbeat music] AI is changing the way we work, and navigating the flood of hype and new technology isn't easy. On the Token Intelligence show, we'll teach you how to stay relevant and shape a meaningful career in the midst of today's fast-changing market.

00:00:14,260 --> 00:00:20,760 [Eric]

Every week, it's a chance for you to slow down, think clearly, and ask the right questions about AI and yourself.

00:00:21,460 --> 00:00:25,720 [John]

Today on Token Intelligence, we talk about becoming a player coach.

00:00:26,340 --> 00:00:45,060 [Eric]

John and I define the term player coach, which essentially means that you're a manager who also does individual contributor work. We break down how AI has completely changed the role for many managers out there, and then we talk about what you should do about that, learning AI and being a good manager of a team who's using AI.

00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:53,660 [Eric]

John, you are an owner of a company, manager of people. Do you have a title? Is it C- ... I mean, it's-

00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:53,780 [John]

I guess CEO

00:00:53,780 --> 00:00:54,960 [Eric]

... is it technically CEO?

00:00:55,220 --> 00:00:55,420 [John]

Yeah.

Related conversation / Episode 41

Will AI make us lonely?

AI can feel like a companion while making work more solitary. Eric and John ask how to use it to strengthen human connection.

Explore this episode ↗

Token Intelligence

The conversation

Summary

A player/coach is a manager that leads a team, managing other people's work, but also does that same type of work themselves, as part of the team.

AI gives you the ability to do more work, and completely new types of work, even without prior experience. If you're not careful, AI can create a second job for you.

But that also means leaders higher up than you in your company are developing new expectations about output, even if they don't understand the details of what's possible, and what's not, with AI.

Key takeaways

You're probably a player/coach, even if that isn't explicit: AI creates leverage, and your boss will always want more leverage. You should plan to work like a player coach, even if your job description didn't change.

You can (and should) choose where to apply the leverage: The good news is that as a manager, you can choose what type of work you want to do with AI, so choose something that interests you.

You have to budget time for learning: AI changes fast, and you not only need to know how to use it yourself, but you need to know how your team is using it (or isn't). That requires time, so make sure to skip those optional meetings and block out intentional learning time.

Notable mentions and links

Eric and John note that only a few years ago, Cursor's auto-complete feature was the talk of the AI town. Now, cursor can deploy fleets of agents to do autonomous work. Things change fast.

Eric uses the process behind Vercel's AI Gateway Production Index as an example of one person using AI to do an immense amount of work that would have previously involved multiple other people and meetings.