What Happened When I Started Using AI Every Day

2026-06-22 · Source: Artificial Intelligence on Medium · Field: Business & Management — Project & Product Management, Operations & Process Management · Depth: Novice, medium

Summary

The article discusses the author's experience using AI, specifically Claude, for daily product work, initially aiming to accelerate requirements document creation. While AI reduced drafting time from two hours to 22 minutes, it did not shorten the four-week stakeholder alignment process. The core issue identified was that AI made "unfinished thinking look finished," masking unresolved decisions or unconfirmed assumptions within the polished document. The author realized that traditional, slower writing naturally exposed these gaps through pauses and discomfort. To address this, the author shifted their AI usage: instead of generating first drafts, they now use AI to "grill" rough notes, asking questions like "What questions should I answer before I turn this into a document?" This pre-drafting step, taking 40-50 minutes, surfaces critical unaddressed questions, ultimately reducing review cycles from weeks to just days.

Key takeaway

For Product Managers or Consultants drafting critical documents, relying on AI for initial drafts can mask unresolved decisions and assumptions, leading to prolonged stakeholder review cycles. Instead, use AI proactively to challenge your initial thinking by asking it to identify unconfirmed assumptions or potential disagreements. This upfront investment of 20-30 minutes can significantly reduce review times from weeks to days, ensuring clarity and alignment before formal documentation.

Key insights

AI can make incomplete thinking appear complete, shifting unresolved issues from drafting to later, more costly review stages.

Principles

• Slow writing reveals thinking gaps.
• AI accelerates drafting, not alignment.
• Unresolved questions delay projects.

Method

Start with rough notes, then prompt AI (e.g., Claude) to identify unaddressed questions or assumptions before drafting the document. Update notes, then use AI for writing.

In practice

• Use a "grill me" prompt for notes.
• Ask AI: "What questions should I answer?"
• Clarify decisions before writing.

Topics

• AI Productivity
• Product Management Workflow
• Stakeholder Alignment
• Requirements Documentation
• Generative AI Use Cases
• Critical Thinking

Best for: AI Product Manager, Product Manager, Consultant

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Artificial Intelligence on Medium.