Do project managers really need Python?

You don't need to become a programmer. Most of what the book teaches, from planning and visual artifacts to meeting processing, stakeholder simulation, and weekly reports, works in a normal AI chat with no code at all. That covers Chapters 1–8.

Where Python comes in

Chapter 12, Automation and Integration, introduces Python scripts for repetitive work. The book calls them disposable software: small, single-purpose programs the AI writes for you, used for a job and then kept or thrown away. Typical examples:

• Merging several status spreadsheets into one summary
• Renaming and filing a folder of meeting notes by date
• Pulling action items from a batch of transcripts
• Reformatting an export into the layout your sponsor wants

The book claims automation scripts like these can save 5–10 hours a week. Your results will depend on how much repetitive work you have.

What you do versus what the AI does

1. You describe the chore in plain language: the input, the output, and any rules.
2. The AI writes the script and explains how to run it.
3. You test it on a copy of your files, never the originals.
4. You check the result the same way you'd check any AI output.

Being able to read a script roughly helps, and you'll pick that up over time. Writing code from scratch isn't required.

Is it worth it?

If a task takes you more than an hour a week and follows the same steps each time, it's a good candidate. If your organisation doesn't allow running scripts on work machines, stick with the chat-based methods, which deliver most of the value.

For more, read Python Scripts Seem Out of Reach for PMs and Building Your First Automated Workflow with AI.