We track Product so you don't have to. Top Podcasts summarised, the latest AI tools, plus research and news in a 5 min digest.

Hello, Product fans!

Here’s today’s sumptuous edition of Product Tapas! 🌮

🔥 What's Sizzling?

📰 Not Boring: Dive into a mix of tech updates with the OnePlus 12 launching in China, Meta and IBM's AI alliance, and the latest doubts cast on Tesla's self-driving AI. 🌐

🤖 GPTs & Tool Time: We focus on PRDs, Specs and QA in GPTs today - each designed to streamline your product management processes. 💻🔍

🎙️ Product Bites: From crafting winning PRDs to understanding the nuances of platform shifts in technology with AI, we've got it all covered. We also explore how major tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are navigating the AI epoch. 🌟

Don't forget to spread the word about Product Tapas and invite your friends to join our community for exclusive benefits. Your feedback is always welcome to make our newsletter even better! 🚀👋

Let’s dig in! 🚀👇

📰 Not boring

• OnePlus 12 launched in China. Rest of the world soon

• Meta, IBM Create Industrywide AI Alliance to Share Technology

• In news no-one is surprised at Ex-Tesla employee casts doubt on AI self-driving capabilities

• Netflix Didn’t See Much ‘Interruption’ Because of Strikes

• Meta is quietly ending messaging between Instagram and Facebook

• NASA will land a spacecraft on a world 800 million miles away

  View more →

📰 Time-Saving Tools & GPTs

1. AIProductGPT - The PRD Artisan 📜✨

   • Description: Instantly crafts detailed AI-powered requirements (PRD) and mocks.

     • Conversation Starters😀 

       • "Conjure a PRD for a new AI-powered chat application."

       • "Craft mock-ups for a voice-assistant integration in a smart home system."

2. Spec Analyzer - The Document Mage 📃🔍

   • Description: Analyzes Business Requirements Documents.

     • Conversation Starters😀 

     • "Analyze this Business Requirements Document for a new e-commerce platform."

     • "Provide insights on the specifications outlined in this project proposal."

3. QA Requirements from Product Mocks Generator - The QA Conjurer 📊🔧

   • Description: Creates QA acceptance criteria from Figma.

   • Conversation Starters:

     "Generate QA requirements for this Figma-designed user interface."

     "Conjure a set of acceptance criteria for this new mobile app design."

4. Product GPT - The Feature Forger 🛠️🌐

   • Description: Converts ideas into detailed project documents.

     • Conversation Starters😀 

     • "Transform my idea of an online learning platform into a project document."

     • "For my health-tracking app, generate features, personas, and time-estimates."

5. Product Tapas Product Audit tool: Our own comprehensive Product Management Audit tool 👀 👀 👀 allows you to thoroughly evaluate your organisation’s end-to-end product management practice, by gauging Product Maturity across four key areas:

   1. Strategy & Principles

   2. Execution & Delivery

   3. Team Capabilities

   4. Data-Driven Insights

   Featuring 19 targeted questions, this audit tool generates a dynamic visual output making it easy to pinpoint strengths versus development areas.

   Tailored recommendations then provide clear direction on reaching the next level of product management maturity and help facilitate productive prioritisation conversations with cross-functional partners.

   The full spreadsheet tool equips you to independently conduct audits while accessing the GPT version simplifies the process further. Drive organisation-wide product excellence through objective assessment.

   Sound interesting? Snag your free copy just by bringing 5 friends to our Product Tapas family using the link below [web users see newsletter for link] 🚀👇

🫦 Product Bites

🌟 Crafting a Winning PRD: A Guide for Product Managers

Another one from Tim Herbig. This digs into how strategy patterns and product strategy components can help you navigate Product Strategy.

📖 Read the full article here 

📆 Published: November 27, 2023 ⏱️ Reading Time: 1 Minute

What's the Buzz? 🐝  Crafting an effective Product Requirements Document (PRD) is a pivotal skill for product managers. A well-structured PRD serves as a roadmap from concept to launch, ensuring clarity and alignment across teams.

What's the Big Deal? 🌟 

A good PRD encapsulates several key aspects:

• Background Context: Provides a comprehensive backdrop, setting the stage for the product or feature.

• Problem Definition & Personas: Centralizes on the problems being solved, articulated through concise statements and detailed user personas.

• Requirements & Phases: Outlines specific requirements and divides the project into manageable phases.

• Right Mindset for Writing: Advocates for an open-minded approach and emphasizes writing the introduction last.

• Scoping the Solution: Balances the need for an engineering RFC against implementation timelines.

Essential Elements:🙌

• Problem Orientation: Crystalize the problem at the start of the document. 🎯

• Clear Success Criteria: Define success in specific, measurable terms. ✌️

• Direction: Provide enough guidance without limiting creativity. 🌟

• Urgency: Set timelines for review, building, and shipping. ⌛

• Conciseness: Keep it readable, with extra context in an appendix if needed. 📖

Why Should You Care? 💡

For product managers, a PRD is not just a document; it's a strategic tool that communicates vision, aligns stakeholders, and drives product development. It's a blend of strategic thinking and detailed planning, essential for successful product launches.

How to Implement 🔗

1. Utilise available resources and templates to enhance your PRD skills.

2. Embrace a holistic approach when drafting your PRD, considering all key elements.

3. Regularly update and refine your PRD writing practices based on feedback and evolving project needs.

Conclusion: The art of PRD writing is integral to product management. By mastering this skill, product managers can effectively guide their teams, ensuring that everyone is aligned with the product vision and goals. Harness the power of a well-crafted PRD to transform your product ideas into successful realities. 🚀

📖 Read the full article here 

🌟 On Platform Shifts and AI

We dive into Casey Winters’ latest piece on how he sees whilst AI may be a technological platform shift it’s not a distribution platform shift and it’s those that tend to bring about new consumer opportunities.

 📖 Read the full article here

📆 Published: December 5th, 2023 ⏱️ Reading Time: 0.5 Minutes

What's The Buzz? 🐝
The article discusses the impact of platform shifts in technology, focusing on AI's emergence as a new technological platform. It highlights how AI, unlike previous shifts such as the internet and mobile, lacks a new distribution channel, posing unique challenges and opportunities for growth.

What's The Big Deal? 🌟 

The key takeaway is the distinction between technological and distribution shifts. Historically, major platform shifts like the internet and mobile not only introduced new technologies but also new ways to reach people. AI, while a significant technological leap, hasn't yet brought about a new distribution model. This means traditional methods of distribution, like sales and virality, still play a vital role, particularly benefiting incumbents and innovative startups.

Why Should You Care? 💡 

Understanding the dynamics of platform shifts is crucial for businesses and entrepreneurs. It helps in strategising for the future, especially in recognising that while AI is groundbreaking, its full potential might not be realised until a new distribution channel emerges. This insight is vital for anyone thinking about how to incorporate AI into their product or looking to leverage it in the current market landscape.

What to Do With This Information 🔗 

For those in that situation, it's important to continue leveraging traditional distribution methods while staying alert for potential new channels. Keeping an eye on emerging trends and adapting quickly will be key to capitalizing on AI's transformative power.

 📖 Read the full article here

🌟 AI and the Big Five

📆 Published: January 9, 2023 ⏱️ Reading Time: 0.5 Minutes

📖 Read the full article here

What's The Buzz? 🐝
2022 marked the emergence of AI with image-generation models like DALL-E and text-generation models like ChatGPT, signalling a new technological epoch. This article explores AI's impact on tech, drawing parallels with Clayton Christensen’s The Innovator’s Dilemma and analyzing how AI innovations might be sustaining or disruptive.

What's The Big Deal? 🌟 

AI represents a major technological shift but lacks a corresponding distribution shift. The article examines the implications of this gap for big tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. It suggests that while AI has advanced significantly, the way it is distributed and monetized is still evolving, posing unique challenges and opportunities for these tech giants.

Albeit from January (and SO much changes so fast in the space) the article delves into specific examples of how major tech companies are approaching AI (which seem to broadly hold true):

• Apple: Embracing open-source technologies like Stable Diffusion, Apple has optimized these for on-device deployment, prioritizing user privacy and reducing server costs. This shift could reshape the landscape of image generation services and cloud providers.

• Amazon: While Amazon's direct consumer AI applications are less obvious, AWS plays a crucial role in providing GPU access for AI models. The company’s approach to balancing the supply and demand of GPUs is critical in determining its position in the AI market.

• Google: Google's AI advancements, while technologically superior, face challenges in integration with their current business model. The company's reliance on humans as the ultimate arbiter in search and ad models may limit its ability to fully exploit AI's potential.

• Microsoft: Positioned favourably, Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI and investments in cloud services for AI position it as a potential leader in this new epoch. The company's ability to integrate AI into its existing product suite, particularly Bing, could be a significant game changer.

Why Should You Care? 💡 

Understanding how AI can be both a sustaining and disruptive force is crucial for anyone in tech and startups , literally everyone. The analysis provides insights into how companies can leverage AI, the role of open-source models in this evolution, and the potential future of AI in terms of distribution and market impact.

What To Do With This Information 🔗 

The article suggests focusing on how existing tech companies are integrating AI into their current business models and platforms. For tech professionals and companies, staying abreast of these developments and adapting strategies accordingly is key to leveraging AI's full potential.

📖 Read the full article here

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Packed with useful tags, product and usage details to help you find the best GPT for the job! [web users see newsletter for link]👇

That’s a wrap.

As always, the journey doesn't end here! Keep exploring, keep questioning, and most importantly, keep growing in your product journey. Until our next issue, keep savouring the bites of wisdom we've shared. 🚀👋

Alastair & the Product Tapas Team 🍽️.