How Product Managers Can Use Prompt Engineering to Speed Up Discovery

How Product Managers Can Use Prompt Engineering to Speed Up Discovery

AI isn’t replacing Product Managers — it’s empowering them to ask better questions, faster.

In the world of product development, the discovery phase often sets the tone for everything that follows. But let’s face it — it can be time-consuming. Interviews, market research, competitor analysis, user feedback, stakeholder discussions… it’s a lot.

Now imagine cutting down days of work into minutes — without compromising on insight.

That’s exactly what’s possible when Product Managers combine their strategic mindset with prompt engineering — the art and science of asking the right questions to AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.

What Is Prompt Engineering?

Prompt engineering involves crafting clear, context-rich prompts that guide AI tools to generate accurate, useful responses.

Think of it as having a virtual research assistant — but only if you know how to communicate effectively with it.

Why Prompt Engineering Matters in Product Discovery

Product discovery is about understanding customer problems, validating ideas, and identifying opportunities. Here’s where prompt engineering accelerates the process:

• Rapid user insight synthesis
• Simulated persona conversations
• Quick generation of problem statements, user stories, and hypotheses
• Competitor and trend analysis in seconds
• Summarization of large research or feedback datasets

It’s not about cutting corners. It’s about gaining quality insights faster, allowing you to focus more on decision-making than data wrangling.

5 Ways Product Managers Can Use Prompt Engineering for Discovery

1. Summarize User Research & Feedback

Instead of manually analyzing dozens of survey responses or interviews, use AI to do the heavy lifting.

Prompt Example:

“Summarize the top three pain points based on the following user interviews. Highlight patterns and emotional responses.”

You’ll get clean, structured summaries in seconds — ideal for reports or team updates.

2. Simulate Persona Conversations

Before scheduling interviews, simulate conversations with AI-trained personas.

Prompt Example:

“Act as a mid-level marketing manager in a B2B SaaS company. How would you describe your biggest pain points with CRM tools?”

This helps surface early assumptions, possible objections, and unknown needs — all while preparing you for real interviews.

3. Generate Problem Statements & Hypotheses

Use prompts to turn scattered notes into structured insights.

Prompt Example:

“Based on the customer feedback below, create three ‘How might we’ problem statements and corresponding user stories.”

The AI helps you move from raw input to backlog-ready items — fast.

4. Speed Up Competitive Research

Prompt engineering can save hours by pulling insights from public data, product reviews, and feature comparisons.

Prompt Example:

“Compare the feature set and onboarding experience of [Competitor A] and [Competitor B] in the project management space. List key differentiators.”

You now have a quick scan for stakeholder decks or strategic planning.

5. Brainstorm and Prioritize Discovery Questions

Need help framing interview questions? Or struggling to choose what to test first?

Prompt Example:

“Generate 10 user interview questions for testing a new AI-powered productivity app. Focus on discovery, not usability.”

Prompt Example:

“Based on these product ideas, suggest a prioritization order using the RICE framework.”

Recommended AI Tools for PMs

Tips for Better Prompt Engineering

• Be specific: Clear inputs yield better outputs.
• Provide context: Role, user type, goals, and product info help guide the AI.
• Set the format: Ask for tables, bullet points, frameworks, etc.
• Iterate: Don’t expect the first prompt to be perfect. Treat it like a dialogue.
• Validate: AI helps you accelerate — but always cross-check with real

The Role of AI in Discovery: Assistant, Not Replacement

AI can’t replace empathy, creativity, or real human connection — all essential for product discovery. But when used thoughtfully, it becomes a superpower for Product Managers.

Prompt engineering bridges the gap between data overload and insight-driven decisions. And the best part? You don’t need to be technical to start.

Ready to Upskill in AI for Product Management?

ScaleUp Consultants offers targeted workshops to help PMs master AI and prompt engineering — from discovery to delivery.