As product managers, we wear many hats. We manage backlogs, prioritize features, plan roadmaps, align stakeholders, and track progress — often across multiple teams and clients, each with unique needs. It’s rewarding work, but it can also feel overwhelming, especially when tight deadlines, shifting priorities, and complex dependencies collide. 

For years, I struggled with the same challenges many PMs face: endless hours drafting user stories, building workflows from scratch, and manually aligning everyone on scope. But AI is changing that. It’s not here to replace product managers — it’s here to amplify our impact, freeing us from repetitive tasks so we can focus on the strategic decisions that drive real value. 

 

The Backlog Bottleneck 

One of the most time-consuming tasks in product management is creating epics and user stories. These are critical for clarity and alignment, but they’re also tedious and inconsistent across projects. Another common challenge is building functional workflows and mockups — work that’s vital for communicating intent but often eats up hours. 

The pressure intensifies when clients come to us with tight launch timelines. We often recommend releasing early to non-production environments to collect feedback before the MVP is finalized. But planning those early releases — and forecasting what’s achievable — becomes difficult when we’re still building the backlog manually. 

This is where AI steps in and changes the game. 

 

AI as a Force Multiplier 

AI allows us to build backlogs earlier and more accurately, which means we can make precise estimations, anticipate dependencies, and create more realistic forecasts. And we’re not doing this in isolation. At Applaudo, we combine AI’s capabilities with the expertise of our business architects, who support functionality estimation. The result is a roadmap that’s not only actionable but also aligned with business goals. 

Importantly, AI doesn’t replace our judgment — it enhances it. It gives us more time to think strategically, collaborate cross-functionally, and deliver products that meet both user needs and business outcomes. 

 

Tools That Transform the PM Workflow 

Here are three ways we’re using AI to make our product management processes faster, smarter, and more consistent: 

1. Product Assistant – Standardizing Epics and Stories: We built a custom GPT tool called Product Assistant that generates epics and user stories in a consistent, best-practice-driven format. It ensures that every story includes all required details — saving hours per sprint and improving quality across projects. 

2. Lucidchart – Accelerating Functional Workflows: With AI-assisted diagramming in Lucidchart, we can create workflows in minutes instead of hours. The AI suggests connections and structures while we remain in full control, ensuring that development teams clearly understand feature behavior. 

3. Figma Make – Automating Visual Mockups: AI-powered design tools like Figma Make generate mockups directly from user stories. This visual context complements our functional workflows, reduces miscommunication, and accelerates development. 

The result? Teams spend less time formatting and documenting — and more time on strategy, prioritization, and stakeholder engagement. 

 

The Numbers Don’t Lie 

In our first pilot with Product Assistant, the impact was dramatic: 

• Epic creation time dropped by 94% — from 553 minutes to just 32. 

• User story creation time improved by 94.9% — from 161 minutes to only 8.3. 

These aren’t just time savings. They represent consistency, clarity, and standardization — the foundations of scalable product management. With functional workflows and templates embedded into every epic and story, PMs can focus on guiding vision and aligning stakeholders instead of drowning in operational details. 

 

Building a Strong Foundation for AI 

To truly benefit from AI, we need more than tools. We need strong processes and a strategic approach. At Applaudo, we follow three core principles: 

1. Strong Processes: Clear templates, standards, and expectations for every epic, story, and workflow. 

1. Measurable Impact: Track efficiency, quality, and adoption metrics to validate results. 

1. Team Enablement: Train PMs on both the tools and the reasoning behind best practices. 

Without these foundations, AI can create chaos rather than clarity. 

 

Looking Ahead: A Smarter Future for Product Teams 

The potential of AI in product management goes far beyond automating tasks. Imagine tools that: 

• Continuously analyze epics and stories, suggesting improvements before they reach development. 

• Personalize coaching and guidance based on a PM’s experience and past projects. 

• Detect risks and best practices across clients automatically, enabling more strategic decisions. 

These possibilities point to a future where AI doesn’t just support product managers — it elevates them. 

 

The Key Takeaway: Amplify, Don’t Replace

 

AI won’t replace strategic thinking. Instead, it acts as a force multiplier, turning repetitive work into actionable insights and freeing humans to focus on the bigger picture. With intentional adoption, strong processes, and clear metrics, AI enables product teams to deliver more value, more consistently, and with greater strategic impact. 

The product managers who thrive in this new era will be those who embrace AI — not as a shortcut, but as a partner. By doing so, we can stop firefighting and start shaping the future of the products we build.