$ cat problem.md
The Problem
Direct reports need access to my product thinking, but I'm not always available:
- They had questions about feature prioritization while I was in meetings
- Needed guidance on product decisions when I was out of the office
- Wanted to understand my decision-making framework for similar situations
- Blocked waiting for me when they could move forward with the right context
The bottleneck isn't their capability. It is access to the mental models and frameworks I use for product decisions. They needed a way to "ask Lauren" even when I wasn't there.
$ cat solution.md
The Solution
Built a custom GPT trained on my product approach, decision frameworks, and past decisions:
- Product philosophy: Core principles for how I think about product strategy
- Decision frameworks: How I evaluate trade-offs and prioritize features
- Past decisions: Real examples with rationale for why we chose X over Y
- Common scenarios: How to handle frequent situations (scope creep, competing priorities, etc.)
The GPT doesn't replace me, but it provides a starting point. Direct reports can test their thinking, get unstuck, and move forward faster. Then we can review together rather than waiting for me to unblock them.
$ cat stack.md
Technical Stack
Custom GPT built on OpenAI's platform with curated knowledge:
- Custom GPT: Configured with specific instructions and personality
- Knowledge base: Documents covering product philosophy, frameworks, and decisions
- Custom instructions: Prompts to ensure responses align with my approach
- Iterative refinement: Updated based on team feedback and new patterns
The GPT is trained to think like I do about product problems, but always encourages the user to bring their own perspective. It's a thinking partner, not a decision oracle.
$ cat impact.md
Impact
Team Tool
The results have been powerful:
- Unblocked team members: They can get guidance immediately instead of waiting for my calendar
- Better async decisions: Use the GPT to test thinking, then share their proposal for review
- Consistent frameworks: Everyone has access to the same decision-making approach
- Scaling myself: My product thinking is available 24/7, even when I'm offline
This is giving the team a scaffold to build their own product thinking. And when we do connect, conversations are more productive because they've already worked through the basics.
$ _
Example Conversation
User:
"We have two feature requests: adding SSO or building a mobile app. Both are high priority from customers. How should I think about prioritizing?"
PM GPT:
"Let's break this down using the impact/effort framework. For SSO: what's the deal size of customers blocked by this? For mobile: is this feature parity or net-new functionality? Also consider: which unlocks more revenue faster, and which aligns with our current strategic bets..."
Note: Add actual anonymized screenshots of conversations