📕Free PDF Guide

The AI Product Manager's Handbook

12 chapters, 15,000+ words. Everything you need to build, ship, and scale AI products — from your first LLM feature to organization-wide AI strategy.

12Chapters
50+Frameworks & Checklists
15K+Words
FreeDownload
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What You'll Learn

Evaluate AI Fit

Use structured frameworks to decide whether AI is the right approach for your product problem.

Write AI PRDs

Specify AI features with accuracy targets, failure modes, and evaluation criteria.

Run AI Evals

Build evaluation suites and make ship/no-ship decisions without an ML engineering background.

Design AI UX

Apply proven interaction patterns — copilot, conversational, agentic — that build user trust.

Price AI Features

Model unit economics, calculate ROI, and choose the right pricing strategy for AI products.

Scale AI Org-Wide

Go from one AI feature to an AI-fluent product organization with a 90-day action plan.

12 Chapters Inside

1

The AI Product Landscape

Understand why AI products behave differently from traditional software and what that means for your role as a PM.

3 sections
2

AI Vocabulary Every PM Must Know

Master the essential AI terminology — from LLMs and RAG to hallucinations and guardrails — without the academic jargon.

6 sections
3

When to Use AI (and When Not To)

Use structured decision frameworks to evaluate whether AI adds genuine value or whether a simpler approach would serve users better.

3 sections
4

The AI Product Lifecycle

Learn how discovery, development, testing, launch, and post-launch phases differ for AI products — and adapt your process accordingly.

5 sections

Who This Guide Is For

🚀

PMs Building Their First AI Feature

Start with Chapters 1-4 for foundations, then jump to Chapter 5 for writing your first AI PRD. The vocabulary and decision frameworks will give you confidence in technical conversations.

🎯

Senior PMs Writing AI Strategy

Start with Chapter 9 for the strategy framework, then read Chapter 10 for economics. Chapters 6 and 8 give you the evaluation and ethics tools to de-risk your strategy.

📈

Product Leaders Scaling AI

Start with Chapter 12 for org-level scaling, then Chapter 11 for monitoring. The case studies on GitHub Copilot, Notion AI, and Figma AI provide three proven integration models.

TA
Written by
Tim Adair

Synthesized from 100+ IdeaPlan resources — frameworks, case studies, guides, and interactive tools — into one cohesive reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

What format is the guide available in?
The guide is available in two formats: a full online version you can read in your browser, and a PDF you can save for offline reading. To save the PDF, click "Download PDF" and use your browser's "Save as PDF" option in the print dialog.
Is the guide really free?
Yes. The full guide is free to read online and free to download as a PDF. We ask for your email address before the download so we can send you updates when new chapters or tools are added.
How long does it take to read?
The full guide is approximately 15,000 words across 12 chapters. Reading cover-to-cover takes about 45-60 minutes. Each chapter is self-contained, so you can also read individual chapters in 5-10 minutes.
Do I need technical AI knowledge to use this guide?
No. The guide is written for product managers, not engineers. It explains AI concepts in product terms and focuses on the decisions PMs need to make, not the technical implementation details. Chapter 2 covers all the vocabulary you'll need.
Is this the same content as the IdeaPlan website?
The guide synthesizes and extends content from across IdeaPlan — frameworks, guides, tools, and case studies — into a single cohesive narrative. It includes original content not available elsewhere on the site, plus cross-references to interactive tools and deeper resources.
Can I share this with my team?
Yes. Feel free to share the guide with your product team, design team, engineering leads, or anyone who works on AI product decisions. The more people on your team who share a common vocabulary and framework, the faster you'll move.
How is this different from the Learning Paths?
The Learning Paths are structured, interactive curricula with step-by-step modules, exercises, and checkpoints. This handbook is a reference guide you can read linearly or jump between chapters. They complement each other — read the handbook for the full picture, use the Learning Paths for hands-on practice.
Will this guide be updated?
Yes. AI product management is evolving rapidly. We update the guide quarterly with new frameworks, case studies, and best practices. If you download the PDF, subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when new editions are published.

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Get the full 12-chapter guide as a PDF. Free — we just ask for your email so we can notify you when new editions are published.

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