Outgoing T-Mobile exec admits a truth leadership will never tell you
T-Mobile's product chief Mike Katz tells it like it is.
The Un-carrier brand was not sustainable. | Image by Reuters
Subscribers felt it. Critics observed it. And now, it's coming straight from the horse's mouth: T-Mobile has changed. But is that really such a bad thing? Product chief Mike Katz, a T-Mobile veteran bidding farewell to the company, recounts how the Un-carrier came to be and where it's headed.
Katz joined T-Mobile as a territory representative when he was just 20 years old, back when it was still called VoiceStream. Now, 28 years later, he's moving on.
He was there in 2011 when top leadership was abandoning the sinking ship after the failed AT&T sale. At that time, T-Mobile was "a failing company" that was "losing hundreds of thousands of customers and millions of dollars of revenue."
The company grew from having "low-double-digit market share" to capturing a third of the market. But as the focus shifts from customer acquisition to retention, the Un-carrier playbook is getting an overhaul.
Katz insists T-Mobile remains customer-centric, but evolving is necessary to meet expectations. If T-Mobile just shaped its policies around what AT&T and Verizon aren't doing right, customers who expect more would be disappointed.
So, what's T-Mobile doing differently? AI and more AI.
It's using the IntentCX platform, created by OpenAI, to provide proactive, tailored solutions to customers. The idea is to eliminate a potential problem before it becomes a nuisance for customers, thereby reducing churn.
The company is also betting big on physical AI, which can trigger tangible actions in the real world. While it won't impact customers directly, it will allow for a faster adoption of the next wave of automation.
Officially, Katz is stepping back to work in venture capital and spend time with family. In reality, he might not see eye-to-eye with CEO Srini Gopalan, who has been reshaping the executive ranks. Katz, who is evidently a huge fan of former CEOs Mike Sievert and John Legere, probably doesn't belong in this new T-Mobile, which is pursuing efficiency and margins instead of industry-shaking moves.
Katz subtly noted that Legere wasn't afraid to make bold choices and didn't resort to layoffs when times got tough.
Katz left his role in July but is staying on as a strategic advisor until December. His departure is another sign that the Un-carrier brand, which didn't believe in whacking customers with long-term contracts, unnecessary fees, and unpredictable bills, is a relic of the past.
Day 1 homie
Katz joined T-Mobile as a territory representative when he was just 20 years old, back when it was still called VoiceStream. Now, 28 years later, he's moving on.
The pain-free wireless position was essentially ‘can we create a position that is the antithesis of all the dumb things that AT&T and Verizon do, and just undo them?’
Mike Katz, Strategic Advisor at T-Mobile, August 2026
He had a front-row seat as T-Mobile fought off prepaid rivals like MetroPCS and Boost Mobile, which "were eating our lunch," learned from AT&T and Verizon's mistakes to offer "pain-free wireless," and transformed into the Un-carrier.
They were actually postpaid customers with good credit… and when you asked them why [they moved], they were like, ‘there’s no contract. I sign up for a plan. It’s 50 bucks a month, and it’s never more than 50 bucks a month’.
Mike Katz, Strategic Advisor at T-Mobile, August 2026
The Un-carrier policies T-Mobile has abandoned include:
Changing times
Katz insists T-Mobile remains customer-centric, but evolving is necessary to meet expectations. If T-Mobile just shaped its policies around what AT&T and Verizon aren't doing right, customers who expect more would be disappointed.
Today’s version of Un-carrier has to be different. If you have the same position, where all you’re doing is talking about how dumb AT&T and Verizon are, your existing customer is like, ‘hey, I already know that, and I picked you. So, what are you doing for me?’
Mike Katz, Strategic Advisor at T-Mobile, August 2026
So, what's T-Mobile doing differently? AI and more AI.
It's using the IntentCX platform, created by OpenAI, to provide proactive, tailored solutions to customers. The idea is to eliminate a potential problem before it becomes a nuisance for customers, thereby reducing churn.
What's Katz hinting at?
If it's so great, why leave?
Officially, Katz is stepping back to work in venture capital and spend time with family. In reality, he might not see eye-to-eye with CEO Srini Gopalan, who has been reshaping the executive ranks. Katz, who is evidently a huge fan of former CEOs Mike Sievert and John Legere, probably doesn't belong in this new T-Mobile, which is pursuing efficiency and margins instead of industry-shaking moves.
Lots of companies talk about putting customers at the [centre] and being obsessed with it. But unless you have the person at the top really modelling what ‘good’ looks like, then it’s just words or a poster on the wall. It doesn’t really become the culture and the DNA of the company.
Mike Katz, Strategic Advisor at T-Mobile, August 2026
Katz subtly noted that Legere wasn't afraid to make bold choices and didn't resort to layoffs when times got tough.
Lessons learned or lessons lost?
Katz left his role in July but is staying on as a strategic advisor until December. His departure is another sign that the Un-carrier brand, which didn't believe in whacking customers with long-term contracts, unnecessary fees, and unpredictable bills, is a relic of the past.
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