The Ultimate AI Tool Guide for Product Managers: Enhancing Product Management with AI Tools

Introduction

2024 is the year of the tech revolution! Everywhere you turn, artificial intelligence creates new ways to do old things, which also applies to product development. What used to be time-consuming is now very easy to do, and I’m here to guide you through this exciting new landscape. Did you know that 85% of executives believe AI will significantly change the way they do business and product managers carry out their responsibilities in the next five years? That’s huge!

So, in this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best AI tools for product development in 2024. How can you use them, and how can they make your tasks as a product manager easier?

The AI Revolution in Product Development

Honestly, I got my first role in product management in the age of artificial intelligence, but my learning period was without AI, and let me tell you, the difference is huge. I’ve always looked for easy ways to do complicated things, and that’s what made me love artificial intelligence. It’s been great for my career, and I thought I should share.

When I began the process of pivoting into product development from law, every tutorial, class, and even internship opportunity was still done in the old-fashioned way. Endless brainstorming sessions, long Figma prototypes that look like they’ll never end, and a lot of guesswork in competitive analysis and market research. But then, I discovered Ai, and it flipped everything on its head. It’s like going from a bicycle to a rocket ship – the leap is just that big!

I remember the first time I used an AI-powered tool for concept generation. I was working on my capstone project with a product school, and I’d spent weeks deciding between a carpooling concept or a CNG promotion concept for road workers to reduce the cost of transportation for a ridesharing company. I considered the pros and the cons, but I wasn’t making much progress. That’s when someone told me about AI, but I was skeptical.

“How could a computer possibly understand what our customers want?” I thought. Boy, was I in for a surprise! The AI churned out ideas I never would’ve thought of in a million years. It was like working with a super-genius but without the ego.

The impact of AI on my journey and product development has been nothing short of revolutionary. It’s not just about speeding things up (although that’s a huge plus). AI tools can use machine learning to help us make smarter decisions, predict trends before they happen, and even catch potential flaws before they become costly. It’s like having a crystal ball and a team of experts rolled into one.

Secondly, AI makes it super easy to make data-driven decisions. We, as product managers, no longer have gut feelings or HiPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) syndrome. With AI, we can analyze vast amounts of data and get actionable insights that actually mean something and stay ahead of the competition.

Another huge benefit? Personalization at scale. AI gives us a shot at creating products that can adapt to individual user needs without breaking the bank. If you use it right, you can create a custom product for your potential customers without breaking the bank. How cool is that?

But don’t just take my word for it. The stats on AI adoption in product development are mind-blowing. According to a recent survey by McKinsey, between 2023 and 2024, generative AI adoption in organizations almost doubled from 33% to 65%. And get this- according to Forbes Advisor, more than 50% of companies that use AI in their workflow insist that it has greatly increased productivity while there has been a great reduction in supply chain management and HR. That’s not just growth; that’s exponential growth!

Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. AI is not omniscient or omnipotent. Sometimes, and especially when you’re using it for competitive analysis, it hallucinates. Let’s just say that it sometimes creates companies by itself that sound “oh so realistic.” So, you should always do your own research and confirm the data it gives. AI is a tool, not a magic wand, and a little Google search can save you a lot of headaches. And, of course, you still need human touch and common sense. 

But despite the occasional hiccup, I can’t imagine going back to the pre-AI days of product development during my learning phase. It’s like trying to go back to dial-up internet after experiencing high-speed broadband. No, thank you! 

So, if you’re still on the fence about incorporating AI into your product development process, my advice is simple: take the plunge. Start small if you need to, but start somewhere. The AI revolution in product development is here to stay and trust me, you don’t want to be left behind.

Top AI Tools for Ideation and Concept Generation

Product development requires that you come up with some idea to solve a problem, and as simple as that sounds, it’s no small business. So, it’s normal to get stuck in this phase and a creative wall. But what comes after can be really stressful because, as a product manager, it’s your job to get over this stumbling block. 
Traditionally, you’d have to go through a lot of research papers, talk to a lot of people, and look at your company or a similar company’s historical data for that eureka moment. But as much as that may help in the long run, it’s very time- and energy-consuming. Not to mention that your potential product has to be put on hold during this period.
But now, the situation is different. With the help of Generative AI product tools, you can streamline the brainstorming process and discover novel and diverse ideas you couldn’t possibly have come up with on your own. 
Yes, this means that the creative process isn’t as hands-on as it used to be, but let’s be for real here, would you rather trust ideas that are backed by a lot of data with some of your own uniqueness and human touch added in, or would you rather go in blind? 
So, the tools we’ve picked in this category are: 

Whimsical

I like whimsical because its prototyping tool is easy and fun to use, but I have to admit, its AI option is also top-notch. It’s so advanced that it can help product managers create mind maps and flowcharts from text. I tried it myself, and I got very interesting results. 

In addition, it has both project management and collaboration tools built in, which makes it a single and well-equipped workspace for your imagination to run wild.

What I Like About The Tool

• AI-Generated Results: Leverage AI in your ideation stage to effectively create a visual representation of your brainstorming process
• Diverse Tools: Get access to a list of tools that include wireframes, docs, projects, flowcharts, and mind maps in one place.
• Collaboration: Work together with your team on one board.
• EmbedKit: Showcase your Whimsical board on other platforms with embedded links. Platforms that support Whimsical’s embedded links are Notion, Github, Asana, and Canva.

Use Cases

• Creating a marketing strategy
• Drawing up product management processes
• Using rapid prototyping to make software

Pricing

The tool has a free trial with a starting price of $10 per editor.

Learn More: whimsical.com

Stratup.ai

This AI tool is great for both new companies. It’s furnished with algorithms that sift through market trends, industry gaps, and consumer behaviors to generate business ideas and help you make informed decisions in seconds. It also gives personal insights into the ideas it generates, shows the market value, and makes it possible for you to ask follow-up questions if you pay for the pro version. 

The downside to this tool is that it’s not very useful for established businesses. The ideas also require you to have a thorough understanding of your field and the category you choose to begin with. 

I also noticed that when you give too much information in the instructions, it just gives me what I already know. Nevertheless, it’s a great way to start brainstorming, and if you have extra money for a subscription, it can be a complete game changer.

What I Like About The Tool

• Business Idea Generation: You can generate business ideas in seconds.
• Identifying Market Gaps: You can use the algorithm to figure out potential lucrative areas that haven’t been explored in your industry.

Use Cases

• Idea generation 
• Identifying market gaps

Pricing

The tool has a free trial with the option to search for 10 ideas, a starting price of $15 monthly, and a one-time purchase of $250 to use it forever for unlimited ideas.

Learn More: stratup.ai

Seenapse

Seenapse is like chatting with a very smart AI assistant about what type of product you want and getting responses back in real-time. It’s one of my top AI tools for product ideation because it understands what I’m saying and is actually helpful.

It does the heavy lifting of coming up with an idea so you and your team can focus on other, more intricate things like bringing the idea to life. For instance, I gave it what my business is about, and it generated product implementation ideas for me. 

What I Like About The Tool

• Smart Creative Partner: This AI tool for product managers never gets tired of bailing you out of any creative block. 
• Quality Meets Quantity: Generates high-quality ideas and expresses them in natural language in seconds.
• Easy-to-Use: Easy to use without any learning curve. 

Use Cases

• Rapid Ideation
• Team Collaboration 

Pricing

Starting Price – $25/month

Learn More: seenapse.ai

Miro AI

Unlock a new level of teamwork and collaboration with Miro AI technology. It has automatic mind-map generation, which makes it more effective during brainstorming sessions. With a few prompts, it will give you valuable insights into the development process and also help you generate aboard.

You can also collaborate with members of your team and showcase what you have to them. 

In addition, the program provides a sticky-note summary feature that allows users to quickly condense information and bridge the gap between concept and implementation. In essence, this can help you convert your creativity into actionable roadmaps.

What I Like About The Tool

• Image Generation from Text Prompts: Transform the written descriptions into visual elements.
• User Stories: Automates the process of breaking down feature ideas into user stories with the help of the Generate User Stories option.
• Keyword Clustering: Use clustering algorithms to categorize sticky notes according to the sentiment and relevance of the keywords.

Use Cases

• Easy collaboration
• Quick ideation
• Project management 
• Marketing campaigns 

Pricing

There’s a free trial, and the starting price is at $8/month.

Learn More: miro.com

AI-Powered Product Prototyping and Design Tools for Product Managers

Just like there are many AI tools for ideation and creating product roadmaps, there are also many AI software for prototyping and designing. I remember struggling with clunky 3D modeling software during my learning period, but now? It’s like magic. These AI tools can easily whip up complex models with just a prompt. And rapid prototyping? It’s insane how fast easily we can iterate now. Sure, it’s not going to look like a seasoned product designer did the job, but when has it ever looked like a product designer did the prototyping?

As product managers, we create prototypes as visual aids. If you have a background in design, but if you don’t, these tools are total game changers. Do you know I once had an idea at breakfast and had a working prototype by lunch!

Sure, some of them may have a learning curve, and I’ve had my share of AI tools with very slow loading speeds. But overall, these tools have revolutionized how we bring ideas to life. It’s an exciting time to be a product manager!

Uizard

Uizard is an AI-powered product design tool for prototyping and wireframing. It uses advanced AI technology to create usable and editable prototypes and wireframes with a prompt. It can also help you convert screenshots and hand-drawn sketches into digital designs.

One bonus of this AI tool is that it also acts as a collaboration tool, and the drag-and-drop feature means you don’t need a single design skill to effectively use it. 

What I Like About The Tool

• Visual generation from text prompts: Describe what you want to the system in text and get a fully editable and customizable result. 
• User Experience: Map out the customer experience you want for your users without stress.
• Collaboration: Work with your team members and get their feedback with this tool.

Use Cases

• Easy collaboration
• Quick ideation
• Product design

Pricing

There’s a free version, and the starting price for the paid version is $12/month.

Learn More: uizard.io

Galileo AI

Just like Uizard, Galileo AI is one of the best tools for prototyping and design out there. While it doesn’t have an integrated interface to edit the different elements like Uizard, it has the option to redirect to Figma to edit each of the elements. 

One thing I really like about Galileo AI that Uizard doesn’t have is that it auto-generates a code that can help you render the pages it has created for you.

I think using user stories to generate the pages may be more effective, but I’m just too lazy to try that. 

What I Like About The Tool

• Interactive Chatting: The AI confirms all the pages that will be generated, and you have the option to swap one or more before it does. 
• Figma Integration: Allows you to directly link to Figma, where you can edit your designs.
• Code Generation: Generates code to render the design in real-time. You don’t actually need it, but your product designer or engineer may find it useful.

Use Cases

• Product design
• Prototyping
• Creating wireframes

Pricing

You get free credits after signing up, but the paid plan starts at $19/month.

Learn More: usegalileo.ai

Visily

No more plugins, confusing workflows, or the dreaded blank canvas because Visily has everything you need to make high-fidelity wireframes and prototypes! You can also use Visily’s AI-powered sketch-to-design and data-fill features to create new designs from scratch or convert sketches into editable and fully customizable digital designs.

What I Like About The Tool

• Design Type: You can choose any type of design you want for your prototype, from low-fi to hi-fi.
• Collaboration: It makes it easy to collaborate with other people on your team. 
• Templates: It has a lot of free templates you can start from if you don’t have any idea what you want your prototype to look like.

Use Cases

• Product design
• Prototyping
• Creating wireframes

Pricing

You get free credits after signing up, but the paid plan starts at $11/month.

Learn More: app.visily.ai

Top AI Tools for Product Testing and Quality Assurance

Although this is not your job as a product manager, quality assurance and product testing are things you can’t completely avoid, especially if you’re in the tech on SaaS space. But let’s be real here, no matter what’s on your CV, chances are you’re not actually skilled enough to understand everything the engineering team has put in the code to review it. That’s where AI testing tools are handy. 

I didn’t really go into them in depth in this article, but in the future, I’ll write an article that clearly reviews and tests them out. 

Applitools

Applitools is a robust software testing tool with the capacity to help you detect any user interface issue on browsers and other devices. The tool generally uses an advanced visual AI engine that’s designed to imitate the human eye to look through every line of code that may have gone unnoticed by traditional testers during the testing process. 

The best thing about Applitools is that it not only discovers bugs but also other inconsistencies that may prevent your app from working as intended.

What I Like About The Tool

• Visual testing: The software has a feature that mimics the human eye to recognize errors and ensure inconsistency.
• Speed: Unlike traditional QA testers, the application is fast and can detect things traditional QA testers may have overlooked in less time.
• Cross-device testing: Applitools makes sure the codes are optimized for all devices and browsers to prevent irregularity on one device that isn’t visible across other devices. 

Use Cases

• Software testing
• General health analysis of the app
• Optimize product for final use
• Test automation

Pricing

The tool is free for one user, but the prices for other users from 3 aren’t publicly available.

Learn More: applitools.com

TestRigor

This software testing tool is a generative AI-powered platform to automate software testing. It’s designed to help users create a scenario for testing that takes the end users of the product into account in the testing process.

TestRigor is a leading AI test automation tool that simplifies test script generation and maintenance to save you a significant amount of time and effort. With seamless integration into popular CI/CD tools and issue-tracking systems, TestRigor can easily fit into your existing development workflow and, as a result, enhance efficiency and productivity.

What I Like About The Tool

• Testing without coding: You can create a test environment on this platform in plain English without any coding at all. 
• Cross-device testing: TestRigor supports testing for all devices and browsers at once to prevent irregularity on one device that isn’t visible across other devices. 
• Integrating with CI/CD Tools: It is compatible with many well-known CI/CD tools and issue-tracking systems, including CircleCI, Jenkins, and Jira.

Use Cases

• Software testing
• Integration with collaborating tools
• Product analytics and test automation

Pricing

The tool is free for open source, but the prices for private testing start from $900 per month.

Learn More: applitools.com

TestCraft 

This is an AI-driven test automation tool based on Selenium. It supports both manual and automated testing, which makes it ideal for rapidly delivering tests for web-based software. Scalable to meet the highest industry standards, TestCraft excels in running repetitive tests efficiently.

What I Like About The Tool

• Multi-language support: Developers can test tools in multiple languages on the tool.
• Copy-to-clipboard: Users can copy tests and paste them into the clipboard easily.
• Test idea generation: Utilizes advanced GPT technology to generate test ideas for websites.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other tools for enhanced functionality.

Use Cases

• Web-based software testing
• Multi-language script execution
• Integration with various development tools
• Generating test ideas using GPT technology

Pricing

The tool offers scalable pricing options.

Learn More: test craft.app

AI Product Management Tools for Market Research and Customer Insights

Market research is very important in the world of products, which is why you can’t entirely avoid it. That’s also why I’m including them as part of the AI tools in product management you should know about.

If you’re like me and are actually good with research and finding things on the internet, most people will never be able to find them. Then you’re good, but if you take too much time completing this part of your product lifecycle process, the tools below may be an absolute game changer. 

Wevo

WEVO is a versatile tool for conducting user experience research and optimization. By leveraging AI, it helps marketers and UX professionals enhance digital experiences and increase customer satisfaction through comprehensive testing and analysis.

What I Like About The Tool

• Effortless UX Research: Simplifies the process of user experience research and optimization.
• Performance Improvement: Offers actionable insights to enhance website and digital experience performance.

Use Cases

• User experience research
• Website optimization
• Customer experience enhancement

Pricing

• Pricing is not included on the website. You need to fill out a quote form.

Learn More: wevo.ai

Insight7

Insight7 is an AI-powered customer insights repository that helps businesses and teams improve their decision-making process. It analyzes various data types from documents and audio to extract insights, themes, and sentiments, enabling a deep understanding of customer pain points, desires, and behaviors.

Insight7 stands out as a comprehensive tool for consumer research, utilizing AI to provide valuable insights from diverse data sources. It supports businesses in making informed decisions swiftly by highlighting relevant patterns and themes in customer data. While it won’t exactly look into a company for you, it may help you analyze it if you get a hold of its business pitch deck.

What I Like About The Tool

• Comprehensive Insights: Extracts meaningful insights, themes, and sentiments from customer data.
• Improved Decision Making: Helps businesses understand customer behaviors and pain points quickly.

Use Cases

• Consumer research
• Customer insights analysis
• Decision-making enhancement

Pricing

• Free for starters, but you may need to pay $19 per month after the free plan is over.

Learn More: insight7.io

Plus AI

Plus, AI is an innovative research tool designed to generate custom market research reports. It can help you organize how a page or business works by taking a snapshot of the page as you go through it.

In addition, it’s a tool that gives you the opportunity to generate comprehensive market research reports effortlessly. With advanced AI technologies, it crafts easy-to-digest presentations or slide decks tailored to the specific needs of your business or industry.

What I Like About The Tool

• Custom Market Research: Generates detailed market research reports based on the provided business name or industry.
• User-Friendly Presentations: Creates easy-to-digest presentations or slide decks, simplifying complex market insights.

Use Cases

• Market research
• Business intelligence
• Industry analysis

Pricing

• You get 5 free snapshot credits on registration and free report generation.

Learn More: plusdocs.com

AI-Powered Project Management and Collaboration Tools

Product management is a type of project management. It is the process that can help you plan and organize the resources you have within your reach. These resources can relate to people, and they can also be related to achieving your goals in the most efficient way possible.

Project management is very important whether you’re working on software development or a physical project because it helps you actually see the project to the end and achieve your goals. 

What you do as a product manager is basically project management with a twist, and it requires a lot of collaboration that can be more effective with the tools below.

Notion

Notion is one of the most popular productivity tools, perfect for modern-day agile project managers. It cuts through project management chaos with a powerful, AI-assisted workspace. Notion helps break down complex projects, visualize tasks in calendars or boards, and automate workflows to streamline team collaboration.

Notion is a versatile AI-powered platform designed to enhance productivity and streamline project management. With features that assist in writing better project docs, automating updates, and managing sprints, Notion keeps everything organized in one place.

What I Like About The Tool

• AI-Assisted Workspace: Simplifies complex projects and automates workflows for efficient team collaboration.
• Versatile Project Management: Offers multiple views, such as calendars and boards, to visualize tasks effectively.

Use Cases

• Project management
• Team collaboration
• Workflow automation

Pricing

Free for basic use and collaboration. $10 per member for pro use.

Learn More: notion.so

Motion

Motion is an AI-powered project management tool designed to manage scheduling, meetings, tasks, and projects all in one place. It uses a proprietary algorithm to plan your work, prioritize tasks, and even create a schedule for you.

Motion is ideal for individuals and teams looking to manage their time better and boost productivity. Its AI-driven approach helps streamline tasks and schedules, allowing users to focus on what matters most.

What I Like About The Tool

• AI-Driven Scheduling: Automatically plans and prioritizes tasks to optimize productivity.
• All-in-One Management: Combines scheduling, meetings, tasks, and project management into a single platform.

Use Cases

• Time management
• Task prioritization
• Project scheduling

Pricing

• Free for basic use, but premium plans are available

Learn More: usemotion.com

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is a project management software by Microsoft that’s designed for everyone. This powerful yet user-friendly application simplifies collaboration and keeps you in control, whether you’re an experienced product manager or a team member.

Microsoft Project offers robust tools to plan, track, and deliver projects of all sizes. Microsoft Teams integration and real-time updates ensure seamless teamwork across different locations and time zones.

What I Like About The Tool

• User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies complex project management tasks for users of all experience levels.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Integrates with Microsoft Teams for seamless teamwork and communication.

Use Cases

• Project planning
• Task tracking
• Team collaboration

Pricing

• Microsoft planner is included in Microsoft but may need a subscription that starts at $10 for a team

Learn More: microsoft.com/project

Implementing AI Tools in Your Product Development Workflow

You can’t integrate AI into your product development process if you don’t first understand how the tool works, whether your team can effectively use it, and what it means for your products. 

You can read my article on integrating AI into your product development process to learn more about AI integration as a product manager.

Final Thoughts

There you have it – a treasure trove of AI tools to revolutionize your product development process! From ideation to market research, these cutting-edge solutions are set to transform the way we innovate.

Remember, the key is to start small, experiment, and scale up as you see results. Are you ready to embrace the AI revolution in product development? The future is here, and it’s incredibly exciting! Don’t get left behind – start exploring these tools today and watch your innovation soar to new heights!