In this episode, Prerna Singh, CPTO at Avaaz, walks us through how AI is reshaping the way we prototype, learn and build digital products. Rather than replacing teams or skipping straight to production, she argues that AI shines when used as a "thought partner" to accelerate early‑stage experimentation.
Through her own journey building a community platform on weekends, she demonstrates how tools like ChatGPT, Lovable (and later Claude / Replit) and Figma AI enabled her to move from blank page to clickable prototype in hours — while retaining the human insight, iteration and context that underpin good product work.
The conversation reframes common assumptions about "fast‑AI = bypass human work," and instead proposes a balanced adoption path: start in "sandbox mode," learn and play — before graduating to "architect mode" where the real value to business begins.
Chapters
Key Takeaways
AI accelerates, but doesn't replace human judgment. Tools like ChatGPT can rapidly prototype flows, but they cannot yet replace user insight or reflect true behavioural outcomes.
Use a "sandbox mode" before "architect mode". Give teams permission to play and experiment with AI — rather than expecting immediate business ROI — to surface real potential and build confidence.
AI can democratise early product work. Product managers can rapidly build prototypes without waiting on design or engineering hand‑offs, enabling faster discovery and validation cycles.
Prototypes—especially interactive ones—drive better conversations. Showing a working prototype sparks more meaningful feedback and generates concrete ideas than dry requirement documents.
Treat AI as a "thought partner," not a magic bullet. Use AI to challenge assumptions, generate structure, document learnings — but always apply human oversight, iteration and context.
Proving value begins with internal culture, not production deliverables. Running team hackathons or off‑sites helps shift mindset, surfaces inventive uses, and builds shared AI fluency — before scaling across the business.
