Back to blog

I want work where what I think actually matters

| András Simon
I want work where what I think actually matters

More than a status machine

A lot of IT project managers feel like their job has silently drifted into “Jira traffic control”: tickets in, tickets out, status updates, RAID logs – but very little real say in how things should be done.

The shift from executor to thinking partner does not start with a new job title; it starts with how you prepare, frame problems, and show up in conversations. Perplexity can act as a strategic sparring partner, helping you explore options, structure arguments, and turn your instincts into well-grounded proposals.​

Step-by-step example – Using Perplexity to frame a business problem, not just report on it

Scenario:
Business says: “We need to deliver faster.” You feel this is not just about speed – it’s about prioritization, decision latency, tech debt, unclear ownership. You don’t want to just nod; you want to bring structured thinking to the table.

Step 1 – Describe the problem in your own words

In a note, write 6–8 honest sentences:

  • Who is complaining (which role / department)?

  • What exactly are they saying?

  • Since when is this happening?

  • Where does it hurt in real terms (revenue, customer satisfaction, team burnout, quality)?

This is your raw context.

Step 2 – Ask Perplexity for solution options, not a single magic answer

Prompt idea:

Here is a description of a delivery speed problem in an enterprise IT/product environment.
Please suggest 4–5 distinct solution directions.
For each, describe:
 core idea,
 potential benefits,
 key risks or trade-offs,
 where you’ve seen this work (typical use cases or patterns):

Paste your description underneath.

You’ll get a menu of options instead of a single generic suggestion, which mirrors how high-level consultants often structure recommendations.​

Step 3 – Filter through your own context

Follow up:

Given our context (mid/large IT organization, enterprise clients, existing agile setup, and a lot of tech debt), evaluate these options on:
 implementation complexity (low/medium/high),
 cultural friction (low/medium/high),
 expected time to visible impact (3 / 6 / 12+ months).

Please rank them from most to least promising for our situation and explain why.

Now you’re not just “presenting AI output”, you’re using AI to pre-structure your own strategic thinking.

Step 4 – Turn it into a workshop, not just a monologue

Ask:

Draft a 60-minute workshop agenda to discuss this delivery-speed issue with business and tech stakeholders.
Include:
 problem framing,
 review of the top 2–3 solution directions,
 group discussion,
 decision on a Q1 pilot.
Add timeboxes and suggested questions I can ask in each block.

This gives you a conversation design, so you walk into the room as someone who shapes the discussion, not just answers questions​

Cookbook – Preparing for a leadership/board-style meeting in 90 minutes

Recipe name: “From Status Reporter to Thought Partner – 90-Minute Prep Flow”

Ingredients

  • One key topic that will be discussed (e.g. new platform rollout, cost-reduction proposal, major risk).

  • A few data points (cost ranges, timelines, risks, dependencies).

  • 60–90 minutes of protected prep time.

  • Perplexity as your thinking assistant.

Preparation

1. Create a one-page decision memo

Prompt:

Using the context below, create a 1-page decision memo for senior leadership.
Structure it as:
 Context / why this matters now,
 Options (2–3) with pros/cons,
 Recommended option with rationale, 
 Key risks and mitigations,
 Next steps if approved.

Paste your notes and numbers.
This becomes your backbone: you can reuse it for slides, emails, and talking points.

2. Anticipate questions and objections

Prompt:

From the perspective of a CIO/CFO/Business VP, list 10 questions or objections they might raise about this proposal.
For each, suggest a concise 2–3 sentence response strategy (not word-for-word script, but key points to hit).

You now have a Q&A bank; this is exactly how high-stakes meetings are often prepared in large organisations.​

3. Draft a 5–6 slide skeleton

Prompt:

Based on the 1-page memo, outline a 5–6 slide deck that I could present in 10–15 minutes.
Slide titles and 3–5 bullets each are enough.

Typical structure Perplexity will propose:

  1. Problem / context.

  2. Why this matters now (impact).

  3. Options considered.

  4. Recommended approach.

  5. Risks & mitigations.

  6. Decision & next steps.

You can now jump into PowerPoint/Slides and flesh it out with minimal effort.

Outcome

In 60–90 minutes, you go from “I have a messy topic and some numbers” to:

  • A 1-page decision memo.

  • A bank of likely questions and answer angles.

  • A slide skeleton that tells a clear story.

This is the kind of preparation that makes you show up not as “the PM with updates”, but as the PM who has a point of view.

If this resonates with the part of you that wants to be seen as a thinking partner, not just a task router, and you’d like more concrete workflows like this:

Buy me a coffee 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/p4pms

That support helps turn real-world IT PM struggles into practical, AI-supported playbooks you can actually use in your next meeting.


Powered by beehiiv
All articles