This methodology note outlines how I used AI, specifically Perplexity AI, to research, structure, and write my rebound article on Pinduoduo’s rise in China. It details the tool, prompts, and creative process I followed, as well as the ethical considerations and limitations of AI-assisted writing.
Introduction to the Article
In this rebound article to a previous DMB Shanghai blog article, I explored the rapid rise of Pinduoduo and whether it poses a real threat to China’s major e-commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.com. I analyzed Pinduoduo’s unique model, its social shopping success, and key strategic moves while providing an update on Pinduoduo’s numbers from the previous article which was written in 2019. The article concludes with an open question on the sustainability of its growth and position in the competitive Chinese market.
Tools
- Name: Perplexity AI
- Version: Paid
- Link: https://www.perplexity.ai
Idea Development, and Creativity
To kick off the article, I asked open-ended prompts such as: “Help me write an article response to the article above, here are my guidelines; (article guidelines)“
This allowed me to extract key insights and structure the core arguments. I used AI to brainstorm themes like social commerce, user acquisition tactics, and strategic competition. I filtered out redundant ideas and kept the ones that aligned with my narrative. For inspiration, I relied both on AI and on reading professional blogs and financial reports. I did not use translations in this article as the content and sources were all in English.
Planning and Organization
I used AI to break down my article structure into clear sections: introduction to Pinduoduo, update on Pinduoduo’s numbers in China and conclusion. This was done through a sequence of prompts rather than a single one. For example, after drafting the article, I refined the intro with this prompt: “Now, give me (only) a bigger introduction to the article with more details about what is Pinduoduo, with sources.” This helped me expand key sections while keeping consistency in tone and flow.
Writing and Articulation
I used AI to help rewrite and extend both the introduction and the conclusion. A particularly useful prompt was: “Now, rewrite the following conclusion with a bit more text and finish with the open ended question: will Pinduoduo remain a top contender in the Chinese e-commerce landscape in the future?”
While I didn’t define KPIs for the article, I aimed to write an informative and engaging piece. I also personalized the tone to keep it accessible, using AI suggestions while editing certain vocabulary choices to better match my voice.
Ethics, Sources, and Hallucinations
All AI-generated content was fact-checked manually before being included. I noticed some hallucinations when it came to financial data or claims about Temu’s launch — I cross-referenced those with reliable sources. I also cited my references correctly at the end using this prompt: “Reference in alphabetical order the following sources with the following style; (list of sources)“
Using AI helped me work faster and explore new angles, but I stayed critical of every output and ensured journalistic integrity.
Examples of Prompts and Interactions
Here are four key prompts I used that helped shape the article:
- “Help me write an article response to the article above, here are my guidelines. (article guidelines)“
- “Now, give me (only) a bigger introduction to the article with more details about what is Pinduoduo, with sources.”
- “Now, rewrite the following conclusion with a bit more text and finish with the open ended question…”
- “Reference in alphabetical order the following sources with the following style; (list of sources)“
One specific problem I faced was crafting a compelling introduction without sounding redundant. The detailed introduction prompt helped me solve that by offering a richer context for the reader.
Link to the article : Did Pinduoduo become an actual threat to China’s biggest e-commerce players ? Update on the Chinese platform
Read my other articles and connect with me on LinkedIn to keep in touch !