Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile Storytelling from the Trenches

Episode Summary: Substack Week - AI in Product Management, Enhancing Product Development Through Artificial Intelligence | Toni Dos Santos

Release Date: February 21, 2025
Host: Pasco Duarte, Agile Coach, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Product Owner
Guest: Tony Do Santos, Author of Product Courier, B2B Product Strategist

1. Introduction and Guest Background

Pasco Duarte opens the episode by introducing Tony Do Santos, highlighting his extensive experience as a B2B product strategist with over 15 years in the field. Tony has guided more than 250 SMEs and large enterprises and is a former SaaS product founder. His passion lies in accelerating time to market, driving sustainable product growth, and aligning product strategies with business goals. Tony is also the author of Product Courier, a newsletter focused on actionable AI strategies for product management.

2. Tony’s Journey into AI and Product Management

Tony shares his diverse background, starting in the music industry before transitioning into the banking sector in France. His interest in innovation led him to explore how technology can enhance banking services. Inspired by Brett King’s vision that “banking is not somewhere you go, it’s something you do” (00:01), Tony pursued data analytics, delving into AI and machine learning by 2019. The advent of generative AI in 2022 further fueled his passion, especially during his tenure at Lemlist, a French startup specializing in sales automation.

Notable Quote:
"AI can help me in my day-to-day work and build better products faster and more efficiently."
— Tony Do Santos (06:40)

3. Founding Product Courier and Its Mission

Tony explains the inception of Product Courier, co-founded with Lucas Michael. Recognizing a gap in actionable AI content, they launched the newsletter to provide practical AI applications for product managers. Unlike existing AI newsletters that remained theoretical, Product Courier focuses on concrete use cases, such as using AI to write user stories and enhancing product development processes.

Notable Quote:
"We wanted to share the way we use prompts, how we build products with AI, and write user stories in a very concrete way."
— Tony Do Santos (06:56)

4. Utilizing AI for Writing User Stories

A significant portion of the discussion centers on leveraging AI to write user stories, a task often deemed time-consuming and less valuable by many product managers, especially juniors. Tony describes how AI can transform raw product requirements into structured user stories complete with acceptance criteria, saving valuable time and fostering clearer thinking.

Notable Quote:
"AI is good at recurring tasks and low-value tasks, so I decided to look into automating user story writing."
— Tony Do Santos (08:13)

5. Enhancing Brainstorming and Identifying Edge Cases

Tony highlights AI’s role in brainstorming, particularly in uncovering edge cases that might be overlooked during manual user story creation. By providing AI with product descriptions and existing documentation, product managers can receive insightful suggestions that prompt deeper analysis and more comprehensive feature planning.

Notable Quote:
"AI suggests potential edge cases that you would not have thought of, raising good questions to explore further."
— Tony Do Santos (11:10)

6. Customizing AI Outputs for Teams and Organizations

Pasco emphasizes the ability to train AI on a product manager’s specific style and preferences, allowing for tailored user story generation. This customization ensures that AI outputs align with organizational standards, enabling teams to focus more on customer needs and strategic discussions rather than repetitive documentation.

Notable Quote:
"You can fit your writing style into the AI, allowing it to generate user stories that match your usual additions and tone."
— Pasco Duarte (13:11)

7. The Strategic Role of AI for Leaders

Tony addresses the misconception that AI will replace product managers. Instead, he argues that AI automates mundane tasks, freeing up product managers to engage in strategic, creative, and user-focused activities. Leaders can use AI as a tool to enhance their strategic planning, roadmapping, and market analysis without relinquishing decision-making responsibilities.

Notable Quote:
"AI will replace bad product managers who only focus on documentation and never think strategically or creatively."
— Tony Do Santos (14:27)

8. Aligning AI with User Needs

Ensuring that AI-generated user stories resonate with actual user needs is crucial. Tony details his approach of feeding AI with comprehensive data from user interviews, feedback transcripts, and quantitative data from tools like Amplitude or Mixpanel. This multi-faceted input allows AI to identify key pain points and user patterns, which Tony then incorporates into user stories to maintain alignment with user requirements.

Notable Quote:
"Always double check what AI gives you. Use it to confirm or infirm the thoughts and needs identified from your qualitative work."
— Tony Do Santos (17:47)

9. Leveraging AI for Decision-Making and Strategy Development

Tony explores how AI can support decision-making and strategy development by acting as a brainstorming partner. For example, preparing meeting agendas tailored to different departmental priorities or generating mock interviews for product managers can enhance alignment and preparedness. AI serves as a facilitator for creativity and strategic thinking, enabling leaders to explore diverse perspectives and potential gaps in their plans.

Notable Quote:
"AI can generate options and suggest ways of doing things, but ultimately, the decision-making remains with you."
— Tony Do Santos (26:38)

10. Recommended Resources for Product Managers

When asked for resources, Tony advocates for hands-on practice with AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini. He recommends Arman Re’s free online course on AI, which offers an in-depth understanding of AI concepts and their application in product management. Additionally, Tony emphasizes the importance of conversational AI, encouraging product managers to engage in iterative dialogues with AI to refine their skills and uncover deeper insights.

Notable Quote:
"The best resource is to go into it. Practice makes you better because you can learn all the theories in the world, but practice is essential."
— Tony Do Santos (31:23)

11. Conclusion and Contact Information

Pasco wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to subscribe to Product Courier for actionable AI insights in product management. Tony shares his availability on LinkedIn for further discussions and knowledge sharing, inviting product managers to connect and explore AI’s potential in enhancing their work.

Notable Quote:
"Feel free to DM me and send me a message. I'll answer everyone."
— Tony Do Santos (34:10)

Key Takeaways:

• AI as an Enabler: AI effectively automates repetitive tasks, allowing product managers to focus on strategic and creative aspects of their roles.

• Customization and Alignment: Tailoring AI tools to fit organizational styles ensures that AI-generated outputs are relevant and aligned with user needs.

• Strategic Utilization: Leaders can leverage AI for strategic planning, market analysis, and enhancing team alignment without compromising decision-making integrity.

• Practical Application: Hands-on practice and conversational engagement with AI tools are essential for mastering their use in product management.

• Continuous Learning: Resources like Product Courier and specialized AI courses provide valuable knowledge for integrating AI into product development processes.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "AI can help me in my day-to-day work and build better products faster and more efficiently."
  — Tony Do Santos (06:40)

• "We wanted to share the way we use prompts, how we build products with AI, and write user stories in a very concrete way."
  — Tony Do Santos (06:56)

• "AI is good at recurring tasks and low-value tasks, so I decided to look into automating user story writing."
  — Tony Do Santos (08:13)

• "AI will replace bad product managers who only focus on documentation and never think strategically or creatively."
  — Tony Do Santos (14:27)

• "The best resource is to go into it. Practice makes you better because you can learn all the theories in the world, but practice is essential."
  — Tony Do Santos (31:23)

• "Feel free to DM me and send me a message. I'll answer everyone."
  — Tony Do Santos (34:10)

Resources Mentioned:

• Product Courier: Tony Do Santos’ newsletter offering actionable AI strategies for product management. Subscribe here.

• Arman Re’s AI Course: A comprehensive free online course covering AI fundamentals and their application in product management.

• Global Agile Summit: An upcoming event focusing on real-life Agile success stories. Learn more.

Connect with Tony Do Santos:

• LinkedIn: Tony Do Santos

• Subscribe to Product Courier: Product Courier

Final Note: This episode underscores the transformative potential of AI in product management, emphasizing practical applications, strategic benefits, and the importance of continuous learning and adaptation.