AI tools like Cursor and Windsurf are getting smarter every day....
Prajwal Tomar@PrajwalTomar_
36 views
Dec 11, 2024
~2 min read
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AI tools like Cursor and Windsurf are getting smarter every day. The real question is: are you?
Stop asking AI to “build XYZ” and start guiding it like a pro.
Here’s why product management skills are essential in today’s AI-driven development world. THREAD BELOW.
Stop asking AI to “build XYZ” and start guiding it like a pro.
Here’s why product management skills are essential in today’s AI-driven development world. THREAD BELOW.
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1/ AI Tools Are Developers, Not Product Managers
Most AI tools like Cursor and Windsurf excel at coding and execution, but they lack product management skills.
If your prompts aren’t clear or structured, you’ll end up with bad output, no matter how advanced the tool is.
Most AI tools like Cursor and Windsurf excel at coding and execution, but they lack product management skills.
If your prompts aren’t clear or structured, you’ll end up with bad output, no matter how advanced the tool is.
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2/ Think like a product manager
AI tools are like your dev team. You can’t just say “build me an app” and expect perfection. You need to:
- Break tasks into smaller steps.
- Define core features.
- Set a clear direction.
This is exactly what product managers do when leading a team.
AI tools are like your dev team. You can’t just say “build me an app” and expect perfection. You need to:
- Break tasks into smaller steps.
- Define core features.
- Set a clear direction.
This is exactly what product managers do when leading a team.
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3/ Why product management is the ultimate AI skill
Product management teaches you to think in terms of structure:
- What’s the goal?
- What are the must-have features?
- What’s the user journey?
These skills are invaluable when prompting AI. Better planning = better outputs.
Product management teaches you to think in terms of structure:
- What’s the goal?
- What are the must-have features?
- What’s the user journey?
These skills are invaluable when prompting AI. Better planning = better outputs.
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4/ My Experience as a developer
I’ve worked under both good and bad product managers.
Under a bad PM, I delivered incomplete or misaligned products, wasting time and effort.
AI behaves the same. It’s a great developer but a terrible product manager.
Without clear guidance, it will go off track.
I’ve worked under both good and bad product managers.
Under a bad PM, I delivered incomplete or misaligned products, wasting time and effort.
AI behaves the same. It’s a great developer but a terrible product manager.
Without clear guidance, it will go off track.
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5/ The PRD advantage
A Product Requirements Document (PRD) isn’t just for teams. It’s a game-changer for working with AI.
- List the core features.
- Define the tech stack.
- Map out the user flow.
Once you have a solid PRD, AI tools can execute with near perfection.
A Product Requirements Document (PRD) isn’t just for teams. It’s a game-changer for working with AI.
- List the core features.
- Define the tech stack.
- Map out the user flow.
Once you have a solid PRD, AI tools can execute with near perfection.
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6/ You'll Burn Credits Without a Clear Plan
If you don’t have a well-thought-out plan, you’ll waste credits and time fixing mistakes.
Start with a clear structure, and the AI will deliver better results faster.
If you don’t have a well-thought-out plan, you’ll waste credits and time fixing mistakes.
Start with a clear structure, and the AI will deliver better results faster.
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7/ Always Test the AI’s Understanding
Don’t let AI jump straight into coding. Instead:
- Ask it to outline the approach it plans to take.
- Review its plan and adjust as needed.
This step can save hours of debugging later.
Don’t let AI jump straight into coding. Instead:
- Ask it to outline the approach it plans to take.
- Review its plan and adjust as needed.
This step can save hours of debugging later.
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8/ AI tools amplify your inputs
Think of Cursor and Windsurf as multipliers. They amplify whatever you give them.
Give them clarity, and they’ll execute brilliantly.
Give them chaos, and you’ll waste time fixing errors.
The quality of your plan directly impacts the quality of their outputs.
Think of Cursor and Windsurf as multipliers. They amplify whatever you give them.
Give them clarity, and they’ll execute brilliantly.
Give them chaos, and you’ll waste time fixing errors.
The quality of your plan directly impacts the quality of their outputs.
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Closing Thought:
AI is incredible, but it's only as good as the person guiding them.
If you want AI to deliver exceptional results, start by mastering the fundamentals of product management.
What’s your take? Have product management skills helped you with AI tools?
AI is incredible, but it's only as good as the person guiding them.
If you want AI to deliver exceptional results, start by mastering the fundamentals of product management.
What’s your take? Have product management skills helped you with AI tools?
