Your Weekly Productivity Tapas 🍢

Small bites. Big impact.

"Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things."
— Peter Drucker

✅ Product Managers juggle endless tasks, from strategy to execution, often without enough time or resources.

✅ Staying productive isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter.

✅ The right tools and techniques can help you save hours, reduce stress, and focus on what matters most.

Welcome to Productivity Tapas

This is a new section of Product Tapas, where I’ll go deeper on some of the tools, tips, and techniques I highlight over in the main Product Tapas newsletter to help you level up your productivity as a Product Manager.

Think of it as your personal productivity assistant—curated insights, actionable advice, and practical examples you can apply immediately.

Whether it’s leveraging AI to streamline your workflows, mastering time management hacks, or discovering tools that make your day-to-day easier, this new longer form section is all about helping you get more done in less time.

Why Productivity Matters for PMs

You’re managing stakeholders, prioritising features, analysing user feedback, and keeping the team aligned. And while you’re doing all that, you’re also expected to stay ahead of the curve, learn new tools, and deliver results. Well, maybe you’re not, but even if not, there are new tools being released every week that can help you turbo-charge your effectiveness.

The Problem?

  • Too many tools, not enough time to research, try, test, over and over again.

  • Cognitive overload from endless context-switching.

  • The pressure to do more with less.

Sound familiar?

That’s where Productivity Tapas comes in.

What to Expect

2-3 times per month, I’ll share:

  • Actionable tips to optimise your workflows.

  • Tool recommendations to save you time and effort.

  • Real-world examples of how to apply these ideas in your role.

  • The goal? To help you work smarter, not harder.

I’m planing on this being a separate section to the newsletter at least twice a month - but you’ll need to register below to access it.

This Week's Productivity Hack: Talk to Your Laptop

This Week’s Productivity hack: Talk to Your Laptop, Supercharge Your Day

Let’s kick things off with a simple, but game-changing productivity hack: talking to your laptop.

Yes, you read that right. Using voice-to-text tools and AI assistants, you can:

  • Dictate user stories, PRDs, or meeting notes in minutes.

  • Brainstorm ideas out loud and let AI organise them for you.

  • Save hours of typing and editing by speaking your thoughts directly.

Talk to Your Laptop, Transform Your PM Workflow

"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." — Linus Pauling

✅ Most PMs spend hours typing documents, emails, and specs
✅ Voice-to-text + AI can cut that time by 75%
✅ Speaking unlocks better thinking and clearer communication

Let's talk about a game-changing productivity hack that's transformed my workflow and those of PMs in my team: talking to my laptop.

Yes, seriously. I know it sounds awkward (and trust me, your colleagues might give you strange looks), but the productivity gains are absolutely worth it.

Here's why.

Why Talk to Your Laptop?

As a PM, my team will spend countless hours typing:

  • User stories

  • Product requirements documents

  • Meeting notes

  • Team communications

  • Release notes

  • Strategy documents

  • Emails

  • EVERYTHING

Sound familiar?

Then I discovered something interesting: by using Better Dictation (my tool of choice) combined with AI, I could:

  • Dictate at 200 words per minute (vs. 40-60 typing)

  • Think more clearly and structure ideas better

  • Maintain a more natural, conversational tone

  • Get through my content creation in record time

The Science Behind Why It Works

When you type, you're constantly stopping, editing, second-guessing. Your brain is juggling the mechanical act of typing with the creative process of thinking.

But when you talk? It's different.

You naturally:

  • Structure your thoughts more clearly

  • Explain things as if talking to a teammate

  • Keep a consistent flow of ideas

  • Think through problems more effectively

  • You’re also much less fussed about the “perfect” nature of the copy. Which by the way AI doesn’t care about

A Real-World Example: Creating a Feature Spec

Let me walk you through exactly how PMs in my team use this for creating a one pager about upcoming EPICs or features.

The Old Way (45-60 minutes):

  • Open blank document

  • Stare at screen

  • Type introduction

  • Delete introduction

  • Check Slack

  • Try again

  • Get distracted by email

    Finally finish after multiple interruptions

The New Way (15 minutes):

  • Open ChatGPT and Better Dictation

  • Start with this prompt: "I'm going to describe a new feature for our product. Please format this as a product specification document with these sections: Overview, Context, Problem Statement, Solution Options, Success Metrics, RACI and Technical Requirements."

    • OK, full disclosure these aren’t the headings my team uses, there are more but that’s not important What is important and is in fact CRITICAL, is for you to define any headings or sections you want yourself. I find LLMs are a bit crap at this. Do this for them.

Then I simply start talking: "Okay, let's create a spec for our new analytics dashboard feature. The overview is this: Our enterprise customers have been asking for better ways to track user engagement across their organisation..." As I talk, I use the LLM as my PM.

As in the real world, context is king so give as much as you can and give tips. I'll say things like: "Make sure to emphasise that this needs to work across mobile devices" "Add a note about compliance requirements here" "Let's break this section into bullet points".

When I finish talking, I have: A well-structured document In my natural voice With all key points covered. Ready for light editing.

Pro Tips I've Learned

  • Set the Context First Before diving into dictation, tell the AI what you're trying to create and any specific formatting requirements. Use Natural Transitions Phrases like "Let's move on to..." or "Now, regarding..." help maintain flow and structure.

  • Edit by Voice Instead of switching to keyboard, say things like "Remove the last paragraph" or "Add a bullet point about..."

  • Keep Templates Ready - have prompt templates saved for common documents (I use Notion for this).

Detailed Walkthrough: Creating a Feature Spec

Let's expand the "New Way" section with a real-world example that PMs can follow along with:

Step 1: Setup (2 minutes)

Open abacusai and Better Dictation (or your LLM and dictation sw of choice) 
Start with this base prompt:  
  
"You are my product management assistant. I'm going to dictate a feature specification. Please format it according to our template with these sections:  
- Overview  
- Context & Background  
- Problem Statement  
- Success Metrics  
- Solution Options  
- Technical Requirements  
- RACI Matrix  
  
Format the content professionally, maintain my conversational tone but clean up any verbal fillers. If I mention specific metrics or numbers, make them stand out. If I say 'new section', move to the next template section."

Step 2: Context Setting (3 minutes)

Example dictation:
"This spec is for our enterprise customers, specifically focused on the analytics dashboard feature. The target audience is enterprise admins who need better visibility into their organization's usage patterns. Our goal is to increase enterprise retention by 15% through better analytics visibility. New section."

Step 3: The Actual Dictation (10 minutes)

Pro Tips for the Dictation Process:

  1. Use Clear Verbal Commands:

    • "New section" to move to next template section

    • "Bullet point" for lists

    • "Quote" for important statements

    • "Note" for asides or important callouts

  2. Add Formatting Instructions:

    • "Bold the following"

    • "Create a table with three columns"

    • "Add emphasis to this metric"

  3. Include Structural Elements:

    • "Add a divider here"

    • "Start a new paragraph"

    • "Create a subsection called..."

Here's how a real dictation might flow: 

"Okay, let's start with the overview. The analytics dashboard will provide enterprise admins with real-time visibility into their organisation's usage patterns, focusing on three key areas: user engagement, feature adoption, and team collaboration metrics. This builds on our existing basic analytics but adds enterprise-specific capabilities. New section.

For context, we've seen a 23% increase in support tickets related to analytics visibility in the last quarter. Our top 3 enterprise customers - specifically Tesla, Adobe, and Microsoft - have all requested better analytics capabilities in their quarterly business reviews. The current solution only shows individual user metrics, making it impossible for admins to understand team-level patterns. New section.

The core problem we're solving is that enterprise admins cannot effectively track and optimize their team's usage of our platform. This leads to three specific issues:

Bullet point: They can't identify underutilized features

Bullet point: They struggle to justify renewal costs

Bullet point: They can't track adoption of new features they're paying for
New section..."

Refining Your Dictated Content: The Iteration Process

After your initial dictation, here's how to refine and polish your content while ensuring it’s accurate and aligned with your goals.

Step 1: Initial Review & Light Editing

Prompt: "Please review the previous content and:  
1. Highlight any areas where metrics or numbers are mentioned  
2. Format all bullet points consistently  
3. Ensure section transitions are smooth  
4. Flag any areas where more detail might be needed"

Example Response:
"I've reviewed the content and:

  • Highlighted metrics: '23% increase in support tickets', '15% retention increase target'

  • Identified areas needing more detail in the Solution Options section

  • Added consistent formatting to all bullet points
    Would you like me to show the revised version?"

Step 2: Specific Section Enhancement

Prompt: "For the Problem Statement section, please:  
1. Add more specific customer pain points  
2. Include relevant market data  
3. Link it more clearly to our business objectives  
Keep my original tone and key points, but enhance the structure and detail."

Step 3: Stakeholder-Specific Versions

Prompt: "Create three versions of this document optimised for:  
1. Technical team (emphasise implementation details)  
2. Executive summary (focus on business impact)  
3. Sales team (highlight customer benefits)  
Maintain the core content but adjust the emphasis and detail level appropriately."

Step 4: Final Polish

Prompt: "Please do a final review focusing on:  
1. Consistency in terminology  
2. Clear action items and next steps  
3. Proper formatting of all technical terms  
4. Addition of any missing cross-references  
Flag any areas that seem unclear or need stakeholder input."

Critical Step: Fact-Check Everything

AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not perfect. It can "hallucinate" (generate plausible-sounding but incorrect or fabricated information). The last thing you want is to send out a document with inaccurate data or assumptions. Here’s how to ensure your content is factual and reliable:

  1. Read Through Everything Carefully

    • Don’t assume the AI got it right, even if it sounds polished.

    • Look for any claims, metrics, or examples that seem off or overly generic.

  2. Cross-Check Metrics and Data

    • If the AI adds numbers or statistics, verify them against your internal data or trusted sources.

    • Example: If the AI says, "78% of admins check usage analytics weekly," ensure this aligns with your actual customer data or research.

  3. Reference Your Data Points

    • Always include the source of any data or metrics.

    • Example: "Based on Q4 customer interviews, 8/10 enterprise customers reported challenges with team-level analytics."

  4. Avoid Over-generalisations

    • AI can sometimes make sweeping statements like "All enterprise customers struggle with X." Be specific and grounded in real examples.

  5. Check for Fabricated Examples

    • If the AI generates customer examples (e.g., "Tesla required 3 analysts..."), ensure these are based on real cases or remove them.

Real Example of Iteration:

Original Dictated Version:
"The problem is that enterprise admins can't track usage effectively which means they can't see team patterns and stuff and this makes it hard to justify costs."

First Refinement:

Prompt: "Please enhance this problem statement to be more specific and professional while maintaining my conversational tone."

AI Response:
"The core challenge facing enterprise administrators is their inability to effectively track and analyse team-level usage patterns. This limitation has three primary impacts:

  1. Difficulty in justifying renewal costs due to limited visibility into ROI

  2. Inability to optimise feature adoption across teams

  3. Challenges in demonstrating platform value to leadership

Would you like me to expand on any of these points?"

Second Refinement:

Prompt: "Great, now add specific metrics and customer examples while maintaining this structure."

Final Version (After Fact-Checking):

"Enterprise administrators face a critical visibility gap in team-level analytics. Based on data from our Q3 customer survey:

  • 78% of admins check usage analytics weekly, but only 23% can access team-level insights

  • On average, enterprises use only 60% of their purchased features due to limited visibility

  • Customer interviews reveal that 8/10 renewal discussions focus on usage justification

Key customer examples:

  • Tesla: Required 3 full-time analysts to manually compile team usage reports (Source: Q3 Enterprise Feedback Report)

  • Adobe: Delayed feature rollout by 2 months due to limited adoption tracking (Source: Customer Success Team Notes)

  • Microsoft: Struggled to correlate team performance with platform usage (Source: Q2 Business Review Notes)"

Pro Tips for Iteration:

  1. Use Layered Refinement

    • Start with structure

    • Add specific data

    • Polish tone

    • Add examples

    • Final formatting

  2. Keep Context Active

    • Remind the AI of key constraints

    • Reference original goals

    • Maintain consistent voice

  3. Test Different Angles

    • Try different formats

    • Experiment with various tones

    • Test different levels of detail

  4. Always Fact-Check

    • Never assume the AI is correct, especially with numbers or examples.

    • Use your internal data, customer feedback, or trusted sources to verify.

Getting Started This Week

Here's your 5-day challenge:

Day 1: Install Better Dictation (or if you’re feeling fancy, try Super-Whisper. This is some pro-level shizzle that allows you to have different tone and style per type of comms—e.g., email vs. Slack.)

  • Test with simple emails

  • Get comfortable with basic commands

Day 2: Create meeting notes

  • Record your thoughts right after a meeting

  • Let AI structure them

Day 3: Write a user story

  • Dictate the context

  • Let AI format it properly

Day 4: Draft a product update

  • Speak it as if explaining to your team

  • Let AI polish the format

Day 5: Create a full feature spec

  • Use the example workflow above

  • Time yourself and compare to typing

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ Don't try to be perfect in one go
❌ Don't edit while dictating
❌ Don't worry about filler words (AI will clean them up)
❌ Don't skip setting context for the AI
❌ Don’t trust AI blindly—always fact-check!

Tools You'll Need

  • Voice-to-Text: Better Dictation (or similar)

  • AI Assistant: LLM of choice (Abacus is mine of choice—here’s a referral code)

  • Templates: Save your favorite prompts

  • Quiet Space: (Or embrace the weird looks)

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more Productivity Tapas next week, where we’ll dive into another tool or technique to help you crush your PM goals.

Let’s get to work.