How I Use AI as a Product Owner

By Dylan Kurbel

The role of a Product Owner often feels like juggling. I'm often context-switching between project tracking, team communication, creative brainstorming, and strategic prioritization. It’s part intuition, part systems thinking, and increasingly, part AI.

At NexusLeap, we don’t just talk about AI innovation; we live it daily. I regularly use tools like ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, Zoom AI, Notebook LM, and Elevate as part of my workflow. Far from feeling like shortcuts, these tools have become integral to my productivity and the way I approach my work.

AI as an Everyday Work Companion

Some people think using ChatGPT is about letting AI do your writing for you. But that’s a surface-level view. The way I interact with these tools feels more like:

• Getting quick feedback on my communication style.
• Regaining momentum by talking through "stuck" moments.
• Iterating and refining rough ideas into clearer, sharper messages.
• Exploring different angles for tackling a challenge.
• Surfacing gaps in my logic or tracking tasks.
• Accelerating decisions without calling another meeting.

For example, when I’m unsure how to phrase a message, I’ll present multiple options to ChatGPT and ask it to compare their tone, clarity, and resonance with our audience. It feels like having a quick-thinking colleague who never tires of giving feedback and doesn’t judge rough drafts.

From 60 Minutes to 10: Small Tasks, Big Impact

Before regularly integrating AI into my workflow, my day was full of small but time-consuming tasks: crafting emails, rescheduling meetings, updating bios, or sending follow-ups. Each one might take 10–15 minutes, especially if I had to recall specific details or shift tone for different audiences.

Now, these same tasks take just a fraction of that time.

With tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok, I can quickly input a short description of a task or situation and receive a polished starting point, whether it's a concise summary, an email draft, or a clear question. Instead of pausing to recall last week's phrasing or worrying about my wording, I maintain momentum.

Zoom AI has also transformed how I engage in meetings. Now, instead of dividing my attention between note-taking and active participation, I can fully focus on the conversation, confident in a reliable transcript or summary to revisit later.

Even more powerful is how seamlessly these tools integrate. Passing outputs between them deepens insights, refines context, and improves clarity. It’s not just about saving time; it's about enhancing my overall communication and critical thinking.

AI In the Middle: Translating Across Worlds

One critical part of my role involves bridging gaps between technical teams, business leaders, and stakeholders. Translating complex workflows, research, or analytics into clear, actionable insights is essential.

AI tools streamline this translation process. Whether refining key messages for proposals or distilling critical insights from dense conversations, AI helps me communicate more effectively. It’s less about outsourcing and more about amplifying my clarity.

Reframing the Guilt Around AI

Early on, I felt a nagging guilt about using AI. I could almost hear the critics asking, “Did ChatGPT write that for you?” implying that work supported by AI wasn’t truly mine.

Over time, I’ve learned to see AI differently. It’s a choice: AI can be a crutch, or a pole vault. I’m still doing the work, I’m just launching myself further and faster. If the ideas and the narrative are authentically mine, using AI is no different than leveraging a calculator during a high-pressure math problem. The calculator doesn’t replace my understanding; it accelerates how effectively I can apply it.

There’s a military saying: “If you’re looking down the barrel, you’re not leading.” To me, it captures this shift. When I focus too heavily on granular details (e.g., wording, formatting) I lose sight of the bigger picture. Delegating lower-level tasks to AI frees up headspace, allowing me to architect rather than merely execute.

This perspective shift, moving from operator to orchestrator, is the heart of the AI revolution for me. Rather than resisting change, I choose to evolve alongside it.

Should Everyone Be Using AI Tools?

Not necessarily. But I believe everyone should at least be experimenting with them.

You don’t need to build AI systems or even use them daily. However, if your work involves knowledge, creativity, or collaboration, ignoring these tools means falling behind the evolving landscape of work.

You don’t have to dive straight in; just dip a toe. Test AI on low-risk tasks and see how it feels. For most, this experimentation quickly shifts skepticism to curiosity, then curiosity to fluency.

A Personal Learning Engine

Beyond work, AI tools have also become integral to my personal growth and productivity. I’ve relied on them to:

• Plan detailed travel itineraries.
• Brainstorm creative projects, like family cosplay outfits.
• Navigate legal and financial paperwork.
• Build self-reflective profiles of my habits and goals.

The beauty of AI lies in the ability to test ideas privately and safely. It has deepened my understanding of how I think, communicate, and want to lead.

Sometimes, I use ChatGPT not just to perform tasks but to critically analyze how I approach them: identifying blind spots, simplifying processes, or reframing my thinking. This reflective practice continually improves how I work, not just the output I produce.

From Generative to Agentic

Right now, AI tools are mostly reactive. You ask, they answer. But we’re on the brink of a shift to agentic AI, where these tools will proactively act on our behalf: scheduling meetings, finding opportunities, and adapting their guidance based on our evolving needs.

This future feels close. Those who learn to thoughtfully integrate AI today will be best positioned to thrive in that future.

Final Thoughts

I’m not an engineer. I don’t use AI to debug code or build complex models. But I am consciously developing muscle memory around integrating AI into my workflow in ways that feel authentic and natural.

As a new parent, my time and attention have become more precious. AI tools help me preserve mental bandwidth, not only enhancing my work efficiency but also freeing me to be fully present at home. For me, that's the ultimate benefit of embracing AI.

If you're curious but hesitant, start small. Rewrite a Discord or Slack message, refine a difficult email, or experiment with a minor task. You might be surprised at how intuitive, and truly human, these tools can become.

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