Product Ecosystem Exploration¶

Module 2 Exercise 1 | Duration: 2-3 hours | Assessment Requirement: Set up accounts and complete basic tasks

Learning Objectives¶

By completing this exercise, you will: - Successfully set up accounts with major AI platforms - Complete hands-on tasks in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, and Gemini - Experience the different interfaces and capabilities firsthand - Develop criteria for evaluating AI tool experiences - Build confidence using multiple AI platforms

Overview¶

This exercise guides you through practical exploration of the three major AI platforms. You'll set up accounts, complete specific tasks, and document your experiences. Think of this as a "test drive" where you get hands-on experience with each tool's strengths and interface style.

Important: Take your time with each platform. The goal is understanding, not speed.

Part 1: Claude.ai Setup & Exploration¶

Setup (15 minutes)¶

1. Create Account
2. Go to claude.ai
3. Sign up with email or Google account
4. Verify your email address

5. Complete the welcome flow

6. Explore the Interface

7. Notice the clean, conversational layout
8. Find the "Projects" feature (left sidebar)
9. Locate your conversation history
10. Check your usage limits in settings

Task 1: Business Document Analysis (20 minutes)¶

Scenario: You need to analyze a team meeting transcript for key action items.

Your Task: 1. Start a new conversation with Claude 2. Use this prompt:

I'm going to share a meeting transcript with you. Please analyze it and provide:
1. A summary of key decisions made
2. Action items with responsible parties
3. Follow-up questions that should be addressed

Here's the transcript: [Use the sample transcript below]

Sample Meeting Transcript:

Sarah: Thanks everyone for joining. We need to finalize the Q4 budget proposal. Marketing is requesting an additional $15K for digital campaigns.

Mike: I can approve that if we see the ROI projections. Can marketing get those to us by Friday?

Sarah: Absolutely. Lisa, can you handle that?

Lisa: Yes, I'll have detailed projections ready. Should I include the competitor analysis we discussed last week?

Mike: That would be helpful. Also, we should revisit the vendor contracts. Some are up for renewal in December.

Sarah: Good point. Let's schedule a separate meeting for that. Mike, can you send a list of expiring contracts?

Mike: Sure, I'll get that out by Wednesday.

Sarah: Great. One more thing - the new hire onboarding process needs updating. Lisa, thoughts?

Lisa: I've been working on that. I should have recommendations by next week's meeting.

Sarah: Perfect. Anything else? No? Thanks everyone.

1. Review Claude's response
2. Ask a follow-up question like: "What potential risks do you see in these decisions?"

What to Notice: - How Claude structures its analysis - The depth of insights provided - How it handles follow-up questions - The conversational tone

Task 2: Project Creation (15 minutes)¶

1. Create Your First Project
2. Click "Projects" in the sidebar
3. Create a new project called "Meeting Analysis Workspace"

4. Add a project description: "For analyzing team meetings and extracting actionable insights"

5. Configure the Project

6. Upload a document (create a simple text file with your team structure)
7. Add custom instructions like: "When analyzing meetings, always highlight potential delays and risks"

8. Start a conversation within this project context

9. Test Project Context

10. Ask: "Based on the project context, what should I focus on in team meetings?"
11. Notice how Claude incorporates your project setup

Documentation: Note how projects feel different from regular chats.

Part 2: ChatGPT Setup & Exploration¶

Setup (15 minutes)¶

1. Create Account
2. Go to chat.openai.com
3. Sign up with email or Google account
4. Verify your email

5. Explore the free tier features

6. Interface Tour

7. Notice the chat-focused design
8. Find the conversation history (sidebar)
9. Check settings and preferences
10. Look for "Custom GPTs" option

Task 1: Brainstorming Session (20 minutes)¶

Scenario: You need to brainstorm ideas for improving team productivity.

Your Task: 1. Start a new conversation with this prompt:

I need to brainstorm ways to improve productivity for a 5-person remote team. We struggle with:
- Too many meetings that could be emails
- Unclear project priorities
- Information scattered across different tools

Please suggest 10 creative solutions and explain why each would work.

1. After receiving the response, ask:

   Pick the top 3 suggestions and create a detailed implementation plan for each, including timeline and potential obstacles.
   

What to Notice: - ChatGPT's creative and conversational style - How it handles multi-part requests - The structure and creativity of responses - Speed of responses

Task 2: Data Formatting Exercise (15 minutes)¶

Your Task: 1. Give ChatGPT this messy data:

Employee data: John Smith, Marketing, joined 2019, salary $65000, manager Sarah Jones. Mary Williams, Sales, joined 2021, salary $58000, manager Mike Chen. David Brown, IT, joined 2020, salary $72000, manager Lisa Park.

1. Ask it to: "Convert this into a clean CSV format with headers: Name, Department, Start Year, Salary, Manager"

2. Then ask: "Now create a summary report of this data including average salary by department"

What to Notice: - How ChatGPT handles data transformation - Accuracy in following specific formatting requests - Ability to perform calculations

Part 3: Gemini Setup & Exploration¶

Setup (15 minutes)¶

1. Create Account
2. Go to gemini.google.com
3. Sign in with your Google account
4. Accept terms and conditions

5. Explore the interface

6. Interface Exploration

7. Notice the Google-style clean design
8. Find conversation history
9. Check settings and privacy controls
10. Look for file upload capabilities

Task 1: Multi-File Analysis (20 minutes)¶

Scenario: You need to analyze multiple documents simultaneously.

Preparation: 1. Create 3 simple text files: - "Q3_Sales.txt" with: "Q3 sales were \(45,000. Top client: ABC Corp (\)12,000). Challenges: seasonal dip in August." - "Q3_Marketing.txt" with: "Q3 marketing spent $8,000. Digital campaigns: $5,000. Events: $3,000. Lead generation up 15%." - "Q3_Operations.txt" with: "Q3 operations ran smoothly. New software implementation delayed to Q4. Team size increased by 2."

Your Task: 1. Upload all three files to Gemini 2. Use this prompt:

I've uploaded Q3 reports from three departments. Please analyze these documents and provide:
1. An integrated summary of Q3 performance
2. Connections between the departments (how one affects another)
3. Recommendations for Q4 based on all three reports

What to Notice: - How Gemini handles multiple files simultaneously - Its ability to find connections across documents - The comprehensiveness of cross-document analysis

Task 2: Large Context Test (15 minutes)¶

Your Task: 1. Create a longer document by copying and pasting multiple articles or long text 2. Ask Gemini to:

Please read through this entire document and create:
- A detailed outline of all main topics
- Key insights that appear multiple times
- Any contradictions or conflicting information

What to Notice: - How well Gemini handles large amounts of text - Its ability to maintain coherence across long content - Whether it captures details from the entire document

Part 4: Comparative Analysis & Reflection¶

Immediate Comparison Exercise (20 minutes)¶

Task: Ask the SAME question to all three platforms and compare responses.

Use this prompt with each platform:

Our company is considering implementing a 4-day work week. Please analyze:
1. Potential benefits and risks
2. Implementation challenges we should expect
3. How to measure success
4. Industries where this works best vs. worst

Please provide a balanced perspective with specific examples.

Evaluation Framework¶

Rate each platform (1-5 scale) on these criteria:

Reflection Questions¶

Write 2-3 sentences for each:

1. First Impressions: Which platform felt most comfortable to use and why?

2. Task Performance: Which platform handled your specific tasks best?

3. Strengths Noticed: What unique strengths did you observe in each platform?

4. Challenges Encountered: What difficulties or limitations did you notice?

5. Personal Preference: Based on this exploration, which platform do you prefer for your type of work and why?

Part 5: Documentation & Next Steps¶

Create Your Platform Summary¶

Document your findings in this template:

# My AI Platform Exploration Results

## Platform Summaries

### Claude.ai
- **Best for:** [Your assessment]
- **Strengths:** [2-3 key strengths]
- **Weaknesses:** [1-2 limitations]
- **My use cases:** [Where I'll use this]

### ChatGPT
- **Best for:** [Your assessment]
- **Strengths:** [2-3 key strengths]
- **Weaknesses:** [1-2 limitations]
- **My use cases:** [Where I'll use this]

### Gemini
- **Best for:** [Your assessment]
- **Strengths:** [2-3 key strengths]
- **Weaknesses:** [1-2 limitations]
- **My use cases:** [Where I'll use this]

## Key Insights
[3-4 major learnings from this exploration]

## Next Steps
[What I want to try next with each platform]

Success Criteria¶

You've successfully completed this exercise when you can:

✅ Account Setup: All three platforms configured and accessible ✅ Task Completion: Completed all assigned tasks in each platform ✅ Comparative Analysis: Documented strengths/weaknesses of each platform ✅ Personal Assessment: Clear understanding of when to use which tool ✅ Confidence Building: Comfortable navigating and using all three interfaces

Troubleshooting Guide¶

Problem: Can't access certain features - Solution: Check if you're on free tier - some features require subscription

Problem: Platform seems slow or unresponsive - Solution: Try different browser or clear cache; check internet connection

Problem: Responses aren't what I expected - Solution: Refine your prompts - be more specific about what you want

Problem: File uploads not working - Solution: Check file size limits and supported formats for each platform

Time Management Tips¶

• Total time: 2-3 hours
• Break it up: Do one platform per session if needed
• Don't rush: Understanding is more important than speed
• Take notes: Document insights immediately while they're fresh
• Ask questions: Use each platform to clarify anything confusing

Remember: This exploration is building your foundation for all future AI work. Take time to really understand the differences between these tools - it will save you hours later when choosing the right tool for each task.