Building better AI tools

4.5

Building better AI tools is a practical framework for teams who want to design AI products that people actually use, not just demo. Inspired by real-world product failures and wins, it shows you how to stop building AI tools backwards—starting from the model—and instead work from user problems, workflows, and measurable outcomes. Rather than focusing on prompts and fancy interfaces, it emphasizes understanding user intent, mapping end‑to‑end tasks, and choosing the right level of automation. This resource is ideal for product managers, founders, designers, and engineers shipping AI-powered products. It covers how to identify the right problems for AI, structure human-in-the-loop flows, set expectations around accuracy, and design feedback loops that lead to continuous improvement. You’ll learn how to evaluate whether AI is actually delivering value, avoid overpromising capabilities, and design guardrails that keep users safe and confident. Whether you’re integrating LLMs into an existing product or building a new AI-native experience, Building better AI tools gives you a clear, opinionated approach to discovery, prototyping, and iteration. Instead of chasing the latest model hype, you’ll gain a durable mental model for shipping AI features that align with user needs and business goals. Use it as a guide to turn AI from a demo gimmick into a reliable, trusted part of your product.

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Features

Problem-first AI product strategy
End-to-end workflow mapping
Human-in-the-loop design patterns

Use Cases

Design an AI-assisted internal tool by mapping current workflows, identifying high-friction steps, and selectively introducing automation where it truly reduces effort.
Evaluate whether to add an LLM feature to an existing SaaS product by defining success metrics, user journeys, and guardrails before writing any prompts.
Improve an underperforming AI feature by analyzing user behavior, clarifying intent, and restructuring the interaction into clearer human-in-the-loop stages.
Guide a cross-functional team through AI discovery workshops to prioritize the most impactful, feasible AI use cases rather than chasing vague "AI assistant" ideas.
Reduce AI-related support tickets by aligning product copy, UX flows, and system behavior with realistic expectations around accuracy and failure modes.

Building better AI tools

Features

Use Cases

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