Getting Started with AI: My Journey
Welcome to my presentation on getting started with artificial intelligence. I'll be sharing my personal journey into the world of AI, offering practical insights for product managers and professionals who are just beginning to explore this rapidly evolving field.
Whether you're feeling behind or simply curious about how AI can enhance your work, this presentation will provide you with actionable strategies and honest reflections from someone who's been in your shoes.

by Jeremy Pollock

"Hey! AI helped here!!!! Give me some credit!"
prompt used located here
Who Am I and Why AI Now?
My Background
20+ years as a product manager, primarily in developer platforms
40+ years programming experience across multiple languages
15+ years in data-focused work (querying, algorithm building, A/B testing)
My AI Turning Point
Despite skepticism about hyped technologies (web3, blockchain), AI proved its value when I experienced code generation without copy/pasting
Viewing AI as a "calculator" - a tool to quickly accomplish tasks I already know how to do - transformed my perspective
Healthy Skepticism
I still experience moments of existential dread about AI's implications
Balancing excitement about possibilities with critical assessment of limitations
The AI Learning Curve

Mastery
Advanced implementation
Proficiency
Regular productive use
Beginning
First practical applications
You might feel behind on AI. The good news? So are many of our colleagues and peers. Even among those already using AI, knowledge quickly becomes outdated due to rapid advancements in the field.
Don't let this discourage you. The important thing is to start now and build momentum. Every step brings valuable insight, both for your personal development and for making informed product decisions.
Starting Your AI Journey: Conversational Assistants
Choose a Platform
Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini - any of these is a fine starting point for your AI journey
Move Beyond Search Queries
Avoid treating AI like a search engine - this common mistake limits its potential
Engage in Dialog
Ask follow-up questions, challenge assumptions, and request alternative approaches
Try this prompt: "I'm developing a feature prioritization framework for my team. Can you help me create a scoring system that balances user impact, technical effort, and business value?"
After your initial query, continue the conversation! Interact with the AI as you would with a human colleague to get the most value from the exchange.
Accelerate Thinking: Document with AI
Draft Initial Structure
Create a rough outline of themes and ideas
Enhance with AI
Feed structure into AI for refinement
Reflect & Iterate
Think deeply about AI responses
Writing while conversing with AI can accelerate ideation and broader thinking. Try starting with a rough structure of themes and ideas, then feed that into AI to produce clear prose and observations that can provoke further thoughts.
The key is to actively engage with the responses – if you don't take time to really read and think about what the AI generates, you won't get much value from the session. Try co-creating requirements, strategies, stories, or blog posts with AI as your thought partner.
Enhance Your Work: Review with AI
Create Content
Write your document or code
AI Review
Submit for feedback and suggestions
Revise
Implement valuable feedback
Reflect
Consider deeper implications
AI can be a surprisingly effective critic. The beauty isn't just in the feedback itself, but in how it opens your mind to criticism without triggering defensive reactions. Even when the critique isn't perfect or entirely relevant, it often leads to deeper thinking about your work.
However, for documents you'll need to discuss in detail, avoid relying heavily on AI-written content. Writing helps you expand your thinking and gives you fluency and confidence in the ideas – qualities that show when you present your work.
Master Data: Query with AI
In the past year, AI tools for query building have become remarkably powerful. What was once a significant barrier for many product managers can now be easily overcome with AI assistance for SQL queries.
While having some SQL background helps in reviewing and confidently tweaking generated queries, even beginners can now access data that was previously difficult to reach. The data is available, and AI can be transformative in helping you build the queries to extract exactly what you need!
Create Something Real: Build with AI

Define your project
Start with simple but meaningful
Generate code
Use AI to build components
Test and refine
Iterate with AI assistance
"A picture is worth a thousand words," a phrase I've often used in my PM career. Now, with AI, you can create impressive mocks and prototypes of products or features with minimal effort.
Try something straightforward but not overly simplistic. A "TODO application" can be easily outlined in terms of requirements and then built with AI assistance. Find an idea that interests you, outline what you want it to do, and use AI to help you build it. The sense of accomplishment is remarkable.
Expand Your Horizons: Think with AI
Idea Generation
AI can help spark new product concepts and features you hadn't considered
Possibility Exploration
Rapidly test the viability of concepts that previously seemed out of reach
Problem Solving
Approach challenges from new angles with AI as your brainstorming partner
In today's fast-paced environment, it's challenging to contain the flood of new ideas, and equally difficult not to chase each one. My use of AI has led to significantly more innovative ideas – from products to features to personal solutions.
When you experience how quickly and extensively you can explore with AI, you naturally begin to question: "What is NOT possible with all of this?" This mindset shift may be one of the most valuable aspects of working with AI technologies.
Lessons From My Journey
Watch Your Costs
API usage can quickly add up to tens of dollars per fully explored idea
Scope Appropriately
Be thoughtful about how deep you need to go with prototyping
Verify Results
Don't assume AI outputs are correct without reviewing them
Think Like a PM
Be explicit when needed, high-level when possible
Using AI APIs for building can become costly quickly. For prototyping, be thoughtful about depth – I often go too deep when I could have accomplished the work in less time and at lower cost if I hadn't chased the "this could be in production!" fantasy.
Trust but verify. You'll develop intuition for when to accept outputs without review and when to follow that instinct of "hmm...that doesn't sound right." Focus on fundamentals rather than getting distracted by the countless AI-wrapped tools available.
IMPORTANT: Markdown is your friend. Get familiar with it. And know that Google Docs has pretty good import/export support.
My Current Toolkit
VS Code with Cline
My primary workspace for daily tasks, enhanced with AI assistance integrated directly into the coding environment
Claude Desktop
Standalone application for conversational AI assistance when working outside the code editor
API Access
Direct access to Anthropic (Claude) and Google (Gemini) AI APIs for custom integration into workflows
I've tried specialized AI tools like storyboarding AI and product-focused AI (like ChatPRD), but found them only marginally useful. Given a structured outline, standalone AI assistants work just as well for supporting requirements documents and story generation.
Your 7-Day AI Onboarding Plan
Days 1-2: Choose Your AI Assistant
Set up accounts with Claude and ChatGPT (free versions)
Spend 30 minutes with each on a real work problem
Compare outputs and interface preferences
Day 3: Enhance Your Workflow
Install a code editor extension (like Cline for VS Code)
Configure API access if your work allows it
Practice integrating AI into your existing tools
Days 4-5: Skill-Building Projects
Draft a product requirement document with AI assistance
Have AI review one of your existing documents
Generate and refine a complex SQL query
Days 6-7: Establish Practice & Community
Define which tasks you'll keep fully human
Connect with AI practitioners in your field
Schedule a recurring "AI experiment hour" in your calendar
Go Forth and Conquer
The AI journey is one of continuous learning and adaptation. Remember that consistent practice with intention is key – even 15-30 minutes daily will compound quickly into meaningful skill development.
I'm happy to help and share my experiences as you explore this fascinating technology. Dive in! The water is fine (but yes, there might be sharks). The most important thing is to start now, learn by doing, and maintain a balance of enthusiasm and critical thinking.