Why This Matters
I’m genuinely excited about what AI can bring to our work.
Yes, it’s a bit scary, but it also has the potential to elevate internal product management and free our users from repetitive, low-value tasks.
According to Gartner, by 2028 33% of enterprise software applications will include agentic AI, up from less than 1% in 2024, enabling 15% of daily work decisions to be made autonomously.
That’s our world.
We can either get on the AI train or run after it.
Here’s how I think about applying AI to internal products.
Step 0. Start from genuine user needs
Users don’t wake up wanting AI.
They wake up wanting less friction in their day.
→ They don’t want to reconcile budgets across three tools.
→ They don’t want to read every single email.
→ They don’t want to fill out forms twice because one field was wrong.
AI should solve these pain points, not exist for the sake of it.
Before you start, evaluate your user needs and assess where AI can actually help.
Level 1. AI for user interfaces
Goal: Help users self-serve faster
Examples:
→ Chatbots that answer questions from your knowledge base
→ AI writing assistants for reports or release notes
→ Smart form filling and data entry helpers
Time to value: 2–8 weeks
Complexity: Low – use existing APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini)
Level 2. Intelligent agents
Goal: Scale knowledge work and shorten decision loops
Examples:
→ Data analysis agents: “Explain trends across our Power BI reports”
→ Incident triage assistants: categorize and summarize logs
→ Product update agents: summarize sprint data from Notion or Azure DevOps
How it helps:
→ Scales knowledge work
→ Enhances visibility into delivery
→ Reduces repetitive analysis
Time to value: 2–4 months
Complexity: Medium – integration work + prompt engineering
Level 3. Build your own AI capabilities
Goal: Create custom AI for specialized use cases
Examples:
→ Fine-tuned models for document classification or ticket routing
→ AI layers embedded into platforms (e.g., internal recommendation engines)
→ Domain-specific assistants (legal review, code analysis, process optimization)
Time to value: 4–12 months
Complexity: High – needs ML expertise, infrastructure, and maintenance
Tip:
Start here only if you have a strong use case or data advantage.
Otherwise, fine-tuning existing models will get you 90% there.
Try the Decision Matrix Tool
If you’re still not sure which level of AI makes sense for your internal product,
I created a quick Decision Matrix Tool to help you decide.
Click below to access it and explore your best next step:
👉 Open the AI Decision Matrix Tool
Getting started: 3 practical steps
- Run a quick survey: “What repetitive tasks waste your time most?”
- Pick one high-impact, low-complexity use case.
- Prototype in two weeks using a GPT or Claude API.
Then measure → time saved + user satisfaction → iterate or scale.