Leveraging AI in my Personal Life & as a Product Manager

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed various aspects of my life, from simplifying daily tasks to enhancing professional efficiency. As someone who enjoys the dual roles of using AI in personal life and as a product manager, I've experienced firsthand how AI can be a game-changer in both domains. Let’s cover a few real-world examples illustrating how I leverage AI in both worlds.

Personal Life: Enhancing Daily Experiences

Creating Itineraries for Adventure Days

Historically, I’ve struggled with planning entire days’ worth of events. I would over-think about ratings, time between stops, and questioned myself if anyone would even like what I did pick. ChatGPT has helped me overcome this weakness and I’ve received feedback on the days that I’ve planned to be “amazing!” For my latest trick, I used it to create a detailed itinerary for a family member who was stuck on how to make the most of a day off. These tools consider preferences, desired locations, and time constraints to craft a perfect day. Here’s how it works:

• Input Preferences: I enter a set of specific interests for myself and/or others, such as types of food or drink, activities, and scenic spots.

• AI Processing: The app processes this data, considering factors like distance between locations, estimated time at each stop, and optimal travel routes.

• Itinerary Creation: The result is a well-structured itinerary that maximizes time and enjoyment, with seamless transitions between stops.

Example Prompt

Plan a date around metro Detroit area where the first stop is for brunch, the second stop is being outdoors during the day, and the third stop is for an upscale dinner in the evening.

ChatGPT Response

Here's a thoughtfully planned date around the metro Detroit area, incorporating a lovely brunch, an outdoor activity, and an upscale dinner in the evening:

Morning: Brunch

Stop 1: The Hudson Café

• Location: 1241 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48226

• Description: Begin your day with a delicious brunch at The Hudson Café, known for its extensive menu featuring everything from classic breakfast items to creative brunch dishes. The café offers a cozy atmosphere and is a great start to the day.

Midday: Outdoor Activity

Stop 2: Detroit Riverwalk

• Location: Along the Detroit River, starting at the GM Renaissance Center

• Description: After brunch, take a stroll along the Detroit Riverwalk. This beautiful riverside path offers stunning views of the Detroit River and the city skyline. You can rent bikes, enjoy public art installations, and relax at one of the many seating areas or green spaces.

Evening: Upscale Dinner

Stop 3: The Whitney

• Location: 4421 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201

• Description: End your day with an exquisite dinner at The Whitney, an iconic Detroit mansion-turned-restaurant. The Whitney offers an upscale dining experience with a menu that features gourmet dishes and a selection of fine wines. The historic ambiance adds a touch of elegance to your evening.

Itinerary Summary:

1. 10:00 AM: Start your day with brunch at The Hudson Café.

2. 11:30 AM: Head to the Detroit Riverwalk for a leisurely walk, bike ride, or simply enjoying the riverside views and public art.

3. 1:00 PM: Consider grabbing a light lunch or snack at a nearby café if you're hungry, or continue exploring the Riverwalk.

4. 5:00 PM: Freshen up and relax before dinner.

5. 7:00 PM: Enjoy an upscale dinner at The Whitney.

This plan combines a delightful mix of culinary experiences and scenic outdoor activities, offering a perfect day in Detroit.

Yes, be amazed. Via GIPHY

This type of prompt will be especially useful to me as I plan to be visiting many new areas in the van and I won’t have to spend hours creating the perfect plan on my own. Thanks, copilot!

Professional Life: Streamlining Product Management

As a product manager, integrating AI into my workflow has significantly improved productivity and decision-making processes. Gone are the days of creating my own templates and materials from scratch.

Excel Time Study Template

My most standout example to-date is using AI to create an Excel time study template for my team. We needed a template that calculated task time (and reduction time) for our applications, which then translated task reduction time to cost savings, what executive does not want to hear about how we can save money? Here’s how AI sped this up for us.

• Template Generation: Instead of manually creating formulas through trial and error, I used an internal AI tool to generate comprehensive formulas and asked it to export the file to .XLSX

• Fact-Checking: While the AI provided a robust base, I spent time fact-checking the formulas to ensure accuracy.

• Outcome: This template enables us to have a quick and consistent way to report on potential cost savings for various features, guiding us on what work to prioritize over others and we’re all about data-driven decision making.

Writing User Stories

Writing user stories is crucial for product teams. Gone are the days of writing these all from scratch when AI tools have proven invaluable in this area by generating base information that can be tailored to specific needs. For example, I created a prompt for a user story aimed at improving web page load times due to performance concerns:

• Prompt Creation: I crafted a detailed prompt outlining the performance issues and desired outcomes.

• AI Generation: The AI tool generated a comprehensive user story with key details.

• Editing and Refinement: I then refined the generated story to align with our specific requirements, saving time and ensuring completeness.

Example Prompt

Write a user story to improve responsiveness on a webpage.

ChatGPT Response

Title: Enhance Webpage Responsiveness for Optimal User Experience

As a user, I want the webpage to load quickly and adapt seamlessly to different devices, so that I can have a smooth and efficient browsing experience regardless of how I'm accessing the site.

Acceptance Criteria:

1. Page Load Time:

   • The webpage should load within 2 seconds on both desktop and mobile devices with standard network conditions.

   • Implement lazy loading for images and other media to improve initial load times.

   • Optimize CSS and JavaScript files by minifying and combining them where possible.

2. Responsive Design:

   • The webpage layout should adjust fluidly to different screen sizes, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

   • Ensure that fonts, images, and other media scale appropriately without loss of quality or functionality.

   • Use flexible grid layouts and media queries to ensure that elements reposition themselves correctly.

3. Interactive Elements:

   • All buttons, links, and interactive elements should be easily tappable/clickable on touch screens and responsive to hover effects on desktops.

   • Form inputs and interactive components should be optimized for touch and keyboard interactions.

4. Performance Monitoring:

   • Integrate performance monitoring tools to track load times and responsiveness across different devices and browsers.

   • Set up alerts for when performance metrics fall below acceptable thresholds.

5. Testing:

   • Conduct user testing on a variety of devices and browsers to ensure the responsive design meets user needs.

   • Use automated testing tools to regularly check responsiveness and performance.

6. Accessibility:

   • Ensure that the webpage remains fully accessible with responsive design in place, adhering to WCAG 2.1 standards.

   • Verify that all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard and screen readers.

Tasks:

1. Analyze Current Performance:

   • Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse to audit the current performance and identify bottlenecks.

2. Optimize Assets:

   • Compress images using modern formats (e.g., WebP).

   • Implement lazy loading for images and videos.

   • Minify CSS and JavaScript files.

3. Improve CSS for Responsiveness:

   • Refactor CSS to use flexible grid systems and media queries.

   • Test and ensure consistent design across different screen sizes.

4. Enhance JavaScript Performance:

   • Defer non-critical JavaScript loading.

   • Optimize scripts to reduce render-blocking.

5. Set Up Performance Monitoring:

   • Implement real-time performance tracking using tools like New Relic, Dynatrace, or Google Analytics.

6. Conduct Testing:

   • Perform cross-browser and cross-device testing.

   • Conduct user testing sessions to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments.

7. Accessibility Checks:

   • Run accessibility audits using tools like Axe or Lighthouse.

   • Ensure responsive design changes do not compromise accessibility features.

Work smarter, not harder. Via GIPHY

All I had to do was take the bits and pieces from the above output and craft it into our own custom story.

Conclusion

Leveraging AI in both personal and professional realms have proven to be a significant advantage. From planning memorable date days to optimizing work processes, AI enhances efficiency, creativity, and decision-making. By embracing these technologies, I’ve been able to focus more on strategic tasks and personal enjoyment, making the most out of every moment. I hope this helps you get started with creating your own prompts.

 -J