You're not a firefighter. Stop acting like one.
Most PMs spend their days putting out fires. Here's how to see them coming instead.
Topic
Process
A collection of 11 issues
Perplexity.ai Terms and Conditions/Privacy Policy Review
I am beginning a blog series where I examine the terms and conditions/privacy policies of various GenAI tools.
I use a prompt that examines any attached ToS or Privacy Policies.
The prompt was originally developed by the folks at AI for Non-Techies. I have adapted the prompt for my
You already know how to start a prompt. You just don't know it yet.
One phrase that ends the blank-box paralysis for good.
Here's a question I get all the time:
"I know I should be using AI. But when I open it up... I just stare at the box. I don't know what to type."
Sound familiar?
The Three AI Modes: Hammer, Mirror, and Telescope
You're Already Using AI. You're Just Using It Backwards.
Here's a scene I see constantly.
A PM opens their AI tool and types: "Draft a stakeholder update for my project."
The AI delivers a polished, confident paragraph. The PM nods, copies it
Zoom out: Are you seeing the forest AND the trees?
You're so deep in your project that you've lost sight of what really matters.
Here's a question that might sting a little:
When was the last time you zoomed out?
Not just looked at your project plan. Not just checked your milestone dates.
I
The methodology trap (and how to escape it)
Agile? Waterfall? Hybrid? None of them fit your messy reality perfectly. And that's okay.
Let me guess:
You've been asked (probably more than once): "So, are you Agile or Waterfall?"
And you've probably said something like, "We're Agile... mostly.
The PM Power Move Nobody Teaches: Build the Prompt That Builds Your Prompts
Imagine this.
Two project managers sit down to use AI on the same problem — drafting a stakeholder update for a project that's running behind.
The first PM types: "Write a stakeholder email for a delayed project."
The second PM uses a prompt she built three months
Prompt Generator
A prompt to generate other prompts.
This is the Prompting Power Move. You can prompt your way to creating a prompt generator on your own. It is worth the effort!
BUT, you could also use the one I created below.
How to use:
Copy the text between [PROMPT START] and
Are you delivering outputs or outcomes?
Your stakeholders don't care how busy you are. They care about results that matter.
Here's a conversation I hear all the time:
PM: "We delivered everything on the project plan. On time, on budget."
Stakeholder: "Great. But did it actually solve our problem?
Validate. Verify. Authenticate.
Your critical thinking skills are extremely important in the age of AI.
Why It Matters: Your ability to employ critical thinking protects you from any crazy AI answers or nefarious deep fakes. It also makes you a better user of AI tools.
The words form a mantra in your brain