Since joining Microsoft’s AI team last year, I’ve found myself diving headfirst into the world of artificial intelligence. What began as an overwhelming experience, trying to grasp concepts and frameworks, has now turned into a passion project that I’m eager to share with you. In just six months, I transitioned from being a complete beginner to confidently speaking at conferences, sharing insights about AI and its impact on business and design. This transformation was possible because of my focused approach to learning, and today, I want to share how I built my AI knowledge framework and some resources that made a massive difference in my journey.
Why My AI Learning Approach is Different
When I first began exploring AI, I quickly realized that most learning resources available online are heavily technical. I found myself overwhelmed by complex machine learning algorithms, data modeling, and coding. However, my interest wasn’t in becoming an AI engineer — I wanted to understand how AI could be applied from a business and product perspective.
That’s when I decided to adopt a business-oriented learning approach. I focused on understanding AI products, the strategies that drive them, and how AI can enhance user experience and business outcomes. I wanted to learn how to leverage AI strategically — from a product manager’s perspective rather than from a deep technical standpoint. This allowed me to gain insights not only about the technology but also about the market, business applications, and how to build user-friendly AI products.
If you share an interest in AI from a product and strategy perspective, I invite you to follow along in this journey. I’ll be sharing tips, resources, and my reflections in upcoming posts.
3 Key AI Resources That Accelerated My Learning
While my journey may have started with some initial struggle, certain resources helped me go from a complete beginner to a confident product manager working in the AI space. These resources provided deep insights into how AI could be applied to product development and business strategy.
1. People + AI Guidebook
This Google-backed guide was a game-changer for me. It is targeted at designers, product managers, and developers, offering actionable insights on how to design human-centered AI products. The guide is packed with real-world case studies and covers everything from product development to ethical considerations when building AI-powered experiences.
The beauty of this guide lies in its balance between practical advice and strategic thinking. If you’re someone who’s looking to understand the fundamentals of designing AI products that serve human needs while aligning with business goals, this guide is an essential starting point.
You can explore the full guide here.
2. Shape of AI
If you’re a designer, this website is pure gold! Shape of AI offers comprehensive and easy-to-follow frameworks for AI product design. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your knowledge, this site has something for you.
With 150+ AI design patterns, you’ll get hands-on guidance on how to incorporate AI into your product designs. The site also offers insights into industry trends and best practices, helping you stay on top of the latest developments in the AI field. This site really opened my eyes to the potential of AI in design and helped me integrate AI more effectively into the products I work on.
3. Empathy & AI
Understanding user experience is at the heart of building great AI products, and this site takes a deep dive into the intersection of empathy and artificial intelligence. It focuses on how to incorporate human-centered design principles and emotional intelligence into AI product development, which I found to be a critical aspect of creating AI experiences that are both functional and emotionally engaging.
As product managers and designers, it’s essential to ensure that the AI products we create aren’t just technically advanced but also accessible, empathetic, and tailored to user needs. This resource provides valuable insights into how to design AI products that deliver on these principles.
Learn more at Empathy & AI.
4. Harvard Business Review (HBR)
If you’re looking for strategic insights on AI, you simply can’t go wrong with Harvard Business Review. This is one of my go-to resources for business and strategy articles. Even if you don’t subscribe, the website offers a wealth of free content on AI, business transformation, and technology trends.
One article that really resonated with me was titled “Strategy, Not Technology, is the Key to Winning with GenAI.” It helped me realize that while AI is a powerful tool, success lies in how we apply it strategically in our organizations, rather than getting lost in the weeds of the technology itself.
You can read these articles at Harvard Business Review.
How I Integrated These Learnings into My Work
As I gathered information from these resources, I began applying them directly to my work. For instance, after reading through the People + AI Guidebook, I was able to build a more user-centered AI strategy for my team. I also used Shape of AI to implement better design patterns for AI-driven products we were working on. These patterns helped us create more intuitive and user-friendly AI interfaces.
In my day-to-day work, I started asking questions like:
- How can we leverage AI to enhance the user experience?
- What strategic goals can AI help us achieve within our product roadmap?
- How can we ensure that AI serves both the user’s needs and the business’s objectives?
This mindset helped me bridge the gap between AI technology and its practical applications, which is essential for anyone working in AI today.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for My AI Journey
AI is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and transformative technologies of our time. But, as with any field, understanding it from a strategic and business-driven perspective is just as important as understanding the technology itself. By shifting my focus to how AI can create value for users and businesses, I’ve been able to rapidly accelerate my learning and start making meaningful contributions.
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your AI knowledge, I hope the resources I’ve shared today help guide you on your journey.
Next, I’ll dive into AI courses and videos that have been particularly helpful in my journey. Stay tuned for those, and don’t hesitate to let me know what specific AI topics you’d like to explore!
For those who are passionate about AI and its application in business, join me on this journey. I’m excited to share my learnings and insights with you!
Hi friends! This year, I’m challenging myself to write 100 posts on Medium (2–3 times a week). I’ll be sharing my thoughts, ideas, and insights on a range of topics, and I’d love for you to follow along. Stay tuned for fresh posts coming your way!
If you found this helpful or enjoyable, please give me some claps 👏👏🏻👏🏾 (you can clap up to 50 times haha!). Your support means the world and boosts my confidence to keep sharing. I’ve got tons of insights to offer!
If there’s a topic you’d like me to dive into, feel free to leave a comment or DM me. I’d be happy to explore subjects like:
- Career Development 🎯
- Personal Growth 🌱
- Business Strategy 📊
- Product Design 🎨
- Technology💻 AI🤖
- Leadership🌟 and more.
…or anything else that can support you on your journey!
Much love and appreciation ❤️
No 16. Some AI Learning Resources & Insights was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.