How to Use ProductOwner Chat Mode with Copilot
Ever had a brilliant product idea but struggled to transform it from a vague concept into a structured, actionable plan? You're not alone. Most great ideas never make it past the "wouldn't it be cool if..." stage because planning feels overwhelming.
What if you had an AI Product Owner who could sit with you, ask the right questions, challenge your assumptions, and systematically document everything into a comprehensive development plan?
That's exactly what the ProductOwner chat mode for GitHub Copilot does, see details here: https://github.com/decodingahmed/copilot-product-owner
What Is ProductOwner Chat Mode?
ProductOwner is a custom chat mode that transforms GitHub Copilot into an intelligent product planning partner. It helps you to really think through and document your entire product idea before you write a single line.
Think of it as having a seasoned product manager sitting next to you, asking all the questions you should be asking yourself:
- What problem are you really solving?
- Who are your users, and what do they actually need?
- What are the must-have features vs. nice-to-haves?
- What technical constraints should you consider?
- What does success look like?
But here's the magic: it doesn't just ask questions, and saves everything you discuss into structured documentation that becomes your product roadmap.
Why This Matters
Here's the painful truth: most product ideas fail not because of bad code, but because of:
❌ Unclear requirements - "I thought we were building X, not Y" ❌ Missing user perspective - "We built what we wanted, not what users needed" ❌ Poor planning - "Where do we even start?" ❌ Lost context - "Why did we decide to do it this way again?"
ProductOwner chat mode solves all of these by giving you:
✅ Structured discovery - Systematic questions that explore every angle ✅ Automatic documentation - Everything is saved as you talk ✅ Comprehensive planning - From high-level strategy to detailed features ✅ Clear organization - Epics, features, and user stories ready to go ✅ Persistent context - Never lose important decisions or rationale
How ProductOwner Chat Mode Works
The ProductOwner follows a proven workflow that professional product managers use:
1. Discovery Phase
You present your idea (even if it's just "I want to build a task app"), and ProductOwner starts asking targeted questions. These aren't random, they're designed to uncover:
- The core problem you're solving
- Your target users and their needs
- Key features and capabilities
- Technical constraints and preferences
- Success criteria and metrics
- Timeline and priorities
Every question and answer is automatically saved to docs/discovery/questions-and-answers.md with timestamps, creating a permanent record of your thinking.
2. Planning Phase
Once ProductOwner understands your vision, it creates a comprehensive development plan that includes:
- Project overview and objectives
- Recommended technical architecture
- Development phases and milestones
- Technology stack suggestions
- Risk assessment and mitigation strategies
- Resource requirements and timeline estimates
This plan is saved to docs/planning/development-plan.md and serves as your project blueprint.
3. Epic Creation
ProductOwner breaks your project into 3-7 major epics (logical groupings of related work). Each epic gets its own numbered file (01-user-authentication.md, 02-core-features.md, etc.) containing:
- Clear description of what this epic covers
- Business value and why it matters
- Goals and objectives
- Acceptance criteria
- Technical considerations
- Risk assessment
- Success metrics
4. Feature Breakdown
Each epic is then broken down into specific features (concrete capabilities that users will interact with). Features are numbered and linked to their parent epics (01-user-registration.md, 02-login-system.md, etc.), and each includes:
- User stories ("As a [user], I want [capability], so that [benefit]")
- Detailed acceptance criteria
- Technical implementation notes
- Dependencies and priorities
- Testing requirements
- Definition of done checklist
5. Review & Iterate
Throughout this entire process, you can:
- Ask for clarification or alternatives
- Request changes to priorities or structure
- Add new features or epics
- Refine technical approaches
- Get second opinions on decisions
Everything stays documented and organized.
What You Get: Your Product Documentation
When you're done working with ProductOwner, you'll have a complete, organized documentation structure:
docs/
├── discovery/
│ └── questions-and-answers.md # All Q&A with timestamps
│
├── planning/
│ └── development-plan.md # Your comprehensive roadmap
│
├── epics/
│ ├── 01-user-authentication.md # Epic 1: User accounts
│ ├── 02-core-features.md # Epic 2: Main functionality
│ ├── 03-data-management.md # Epic 3: Data handling
│ └── ...
│
└── features/
├── 01-user-registration.md # Feature 1: Sign up flow
├── 02-login-system.md # Feature 2: Authentication
├── 03-password-reset.md # Feature 3: Recovery
└── ...
Every file is in markdown format, making it:
- ✅ Easy to read and edit
- ✅ Version control friendly (works great with Git)
- ✅ Portable across tools and teams
- ✅ Searchable and linkable
Getting Started in 5 Easy Steps
Ready to transform your idea into a structured plan? Here's how:
Step 1: Activate ProductOwner Chat Mode
Open GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code and switch to ProductOwner mode:
- Click the chat mode selector at the top of the chat panel
- Select "ProductOwner" from the dropdown
- Verify the mode indicator shows you're in ProductOwner mode
Step 2: Present Your Idea
Start simple. You don't need a polished pitch, just share what you're thinking:
"I want to build a productivity Chrome extension"
"I have an idea for a meal planning app"
"I'm thinking about a developer tool for API docs"
Step 3: Have the Conversation
ProductOwner will start asking questions. Answer them honestly and thoroughly. If you don't know something, say so! ProductOwner will help you figure it out or plan for the uncertainty.
Example conversation:
You: "I want to build a task management app"
ProductOwner: "Great! What specific problem with existing
task management tools are you trying to solve?"
You: "Most apps are too complex. I want something dead
simple for daily priorities only."
ProductOwner: "Interesting! Who is your target user?"
You: "Busy professionals who get overwhelmed by
feature-heavy apps like Asana or Monday."
ProductOwner: "Perfect. What are the absolute must-have
features to solve this problem?"
[Conversation continues for 8-12 questions...]
Step 4: Review Your Generated Plan
ProductOwner will present a comprehensive plan with epics and features. Review it and provide feedback:
"Epic 3 seems too large. Can we split it?"
"Feature 8 should be higher priority"
"The timeline for Epic 2 feels too aggressive"
"Can we add a feature for offline support?"
ProductOwner will update the documentation based on your feedback.
Step 5: Use Your Documentation
Now you have everything you need to start building:
- Development plan guides your overall approach
- Epics define your major milestones
- Features specify exactly what to build
- User stories keep you focused on user value
- Acceptance criteria define when you're done
Hand this to your development team, or use it yourself to guide implementation.
Real-World Example: Chrome Extension
Let's see this in action with a quick example:
Your idea: "I want to build a Chrome extension for productivity"
ProductOwner's questions (abbreviated):
- What specific productivity problem does this solve?
- Who is your target user?
- What are the key features?
- What are your technical constraints?
- How will you measure success?
- What's your timeline?
- Are there similar solutions? How is yours different?
Your answers lead to:
- Development Plan: 12-week timeline, Chrome Extension Manifest V3, React for UI
- 4 Epics: Core Blocking Engine, Scheduling System, Analytics Dashboard, Settings
- 18 Features: Website blocker, time scheduling, usage stats, custom lists, etc.
All documented and ready to build. 🚀
Pro Tips for Best Results
✅ Do's
- Start simple - A one-sentence idea is enough to begin
- Be honest - If you don't know something, say so
- Ask questions back - If something's unclear, ask ProductOwner to explain
- Iterate freely - Change your mind as you learn
- Review the docs - Actually read what's generated and give feedback
- Trust the process - Let ProductOwner guide the discovery
❌ Don'ts
- Don't skip questions - Each one adds valuable context
- Don't rush - Take time to think through your answers
- Don't assume - If ProductOwner asks, there's a reason
- Don't forget to switch modes - Make sure you're in ProductOwner chat mode!
Common Questions
Q: Do I need to have everything figured out before I start? A: Nope! That's the whole point. ProductOwner helps you figure things out through conversation.
Q: What if I'm not technical? A: Perfect! ProductOwner explains technical concepts and helps you make informed decisions without needing deep technical knowledge.
Q: Can I use this for non-software products? A: While it's optimized for software, the structured approach works for any product that needs planning and documentation.
Q: What if I want to change something later? A: Just tell ProductOwner! "Let's revise Epic 3" or "I want to add a new feature for X." The documentation updates accordingly.
Q: Can I share this with my team? A: Absolutely! All documentation is in markdown format, perfect for sharing via Git, Notion, or any collaboration tool.
Why This Changes Everything
Traditional product planning requires:
- Separate meetings and tools
- Manual note-taking and organization
- Remembering to ask the right questions
- Formatting and structuring documentation
- Keeping everything in sync
ProductOwner chat mode does all of this automatically while you have a natural conversation.
It's like having a senior product manager, business analyst, and documentation specialist all rolled into one AI assistant that's available 24/7, never gets tired, and maintains perfect organization.
Ready to Get Started?
Here's your action plan:
- Open VS Code with GitHub Copilot enabled
- Switch to ProductOwner chat mode in Copilot Chat
- Type: "I have an idea for [brief description]. Help me plan it out."
- Answer the questions ProductOwner asks
- Review your comprehensive product documentation
- Start building with confidence
That's it. From idea to structured plan in one conversation.
What's Next?
Once you have your documentation:
- Share it with stakeholders for feedback and buy-in
- Hand it to your development team as a clear roadmap
- Use it to estimate resources and create timelines
- Reference it during development to stay on track
- Update it as you learn and iterate on your product
The ProductOwner chat mode isn't just about creating documentation. It's about creating clarity, alignment, and confidence in your product vision.
Stop letting great ideas stay stuck in your head. Start turning them into structured plans with ProductOwner chat mode.
Your next big product is just a conversation away. 💡