Time to integrate AI to your products

AI is everywhere. If you’re not already thinking about how to integrate AI into your products, you may be several steps behind. Every day, we rely more on tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and other emerging AI platforms. These technologies make it easier to process ideas, automate repetitive tasks, and produce faster, higher-quality content. Generative AI is proving to be a true enabler, despite its occasional drawbacks—and this revolution is just getting started.

How AI Impacts the Product Manager’s Role

A product manager’s work typically includes:

1. Research
2. Analysis
3. Ideation & Validation
4. Planning
5. Delivery

None of these stages happen in a vacuum. We collaborate with sales, marketing, and—if we’re fortunate—customer success teams. We track our competitors, interview customers, and iterate on new ideas. Yet each aspect of this work is now significantly impacted by AI.

Your customers are increasingly expecting AI-driven features that make their lives easier. Competitors who leverage these AI toolsets can outpace you by shipping new features and products at lightning speed. Some older products will become obsolete as AI learns to deliver their core functionality on its own. In this environment, it’s critical for product managers not just to keep up—but to lead.

Embracing the New Paradigm

So how can product managers harness AI effectively?

1. Learn the AI Toolsets
   • Understand the fundamentals of Large Language Models (LLMs)—what they are, how they work, and why they sometimes make mistakes.
   • Familiarize yourself with concepts like “grounding” (how LLMs connect to your proprietary or domain-specific data) and the broader AI tech stack.
2. Analyze Your Industry
   • Identify current players using AI in your space.
   • Watch for new entrants that are leveraging AI to disrupt the market.
3. Brainstorm & Validate
   • Collaborate with your team to generate ideas.
   • Validate these ideas with real customers to ensure actual market needs are addressed.
   • Avoid “bolting on” a generic chatbot; instead, think carefully about the data in your system and how an LLM can make use of it to create real value.
4. Plan—But Challenge Your Plans
   • AI advances rapidly; be agile and ready to pivot.
   • If you’re not prepared to move quickly, you risk being left behind.
5. Deliver
   • Ship AI-enabled features confidently, but measure impact closely.
   • Iterate based on user feedback to refine and improve.

Leading the Charge

AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental shift in how we build, deliver, and compete with products. As product managers, it’s our responsibility to understand AI’s capabilities, embrace them, and use them to deliver value to our customers. Whether it’s speeding up content creation, empowering new feature sets, or reimagining entire business models, AI is reshaping the roadmap.

Now is the time to learn, adapt, and lead. The more you understand AI’s potential—and its pitfalls—the better positioned you’ll be to create products that resonate with customers and keep you ahead of the competition.