Good products move fast. Great products have the right legal minds behind them, steering clear of potential pitfalls while navigating the rapid currents of innovation, especially in a tech-driven landscape where artificial intelligence (AI) is omnipresent. However, not all companies are upgrading their criteria for hiring product counsel, sticking instead to outdated models that no longer serve their fast-evolving needs.

Every in-house lawyer knows the landscape has shifted: product cycles are shorter, launch pressures are higher, and AI's omnipresence has transformed the way products are built and managed. Despite these changes, many companies continue to recruit product counsel based on criteria established a decade ago—favoring privacy experts or commercial generalists with tech backgrounds, hoping these credentials will automatically translate into strong product instincts. This approach often falls short because it overlooks the dynamic capabilities that truly define effective product counsel in today’s fast-paced environments.

Product counsel today is a proactive, design-integrated role. Hiring the wrong person doesn’t immediately present problems; rather, issues silently accumulate within product decisions, eventually surfacing as risks, delays, or misalignments. Effective job descriptions should therefore transcend traditional legal credentials, focusing instead on the actual behaviors, judgment, and adaptability required to navigate the complex, fast-moving product landscapes.

Traditional hiring criteria fail to predict a candidate’s ability to engage effectively in the product development process. They don't indicate whether a lawyer can contribute meaningfully in a design meeting, make informed decisions under pressure, or handle the ambiguities and rapid decision cycles inherent in modern product development. This disconnect can slow down product teams and create a structural, not just personal, tension within the company.

To bridge this gap, companies must craft job descriptions that truly reflect the work a product counsel will do. This involves screening for judgment and communication skills, and understanding how to navigate privacy, safety, ethics, compliance, and business strategy. In an age where product features may rely on AI, evolve over time, and generate new types of data, lawyers must be equipped to think on their feet and handle emerging legal challenges that are anything but static.

Moreover, as the product landscape continues to evolve, the need for specialized training in product law becomes more apparent. It’s not enough to hire the right person; ongoing training is crucial in developing the instincts necessary to thrive in modern product environments. Tools like Coach Frankie, a beta platform for product law training, are stepping in to fill this educational void, offering real-world scenarios and structured coaching to build product judgment.

In conclusion, the role of product counsel has never been more strategic. As companies face the next wave of product and technology shifts, aligning legal hiring and training with the realities of product development is not just beneficial but essential. This alignment reduces friction, accelerates product launches, and ensures that legal counsel can effectively guide business strategies in increasingly complex scenarios. Great product counsel starts with a clear vision of the role and a commitment to hiring and training for the capabilities needed to fulfill it.