Product management: applied workshop

Users and problem framing

Use users and problem framing to make decisions inspectable.

Describe users, context, pain points and existing alternatives.

Teaching example: “Add AI” is a solution idea, not a user problem.. Predict the result, independently check the key step, and compare these assumptions with the actual role. Do not use demonstration results as real-world advice.

Discovery and evidence

Use discovery and evidence to make decisions inspectable.

Design five interview questions about past behaviour.

Teaching example: Ask how a problem was last solved rather than whether someone might buy.. Predict the result, independently check the key step, and compare these assumptions with the actual role. Do not use demonstration results as real-world advice.

Requirements and acceptance criteria

Use requirements and acceptance criteria to make decisions inspectable.

Write a user story and testable acceptance criteria.

Teaching example: “Fast” needs a scenario and a measurable criterion.. Predict the result, independently check the key step, and compare these assumptions with the actual role. Do not use demonstration results as real-world advice.

Prioritisation and trade-offs

Use prioritisation and trade-offs to make decisions inspectable.

Compare impact, confidence, effort and risk.

Teaching example: A score supports discussion but cannot hide unknown inputs.. Predict the result, independently check the key step, and compare these assumptions with the actual role. Do not use demonstration results as real-world advice.

Goals, metrics and guardrails

Use goals, metrics and guardrails to make decisions inspectable.

Define a success metric, denominator and guardrail metric.

Teaching example: Higher clicks alongside more complaints needs a joint assessment.. Predict the result, independently check the key step, and compare these assumptions with the actual role. Do not use demonstration results as real-world advice.

Prototypes and validation

Use prototypes and validation to make decisions inspectable.

Plan a small test with observations and decision criteria.

Teaching example: A prototype can test usability without proving market demand.. Predict the result, independently check the key step, and compare these assumptions with the actual role. Do not use demonstration results as real-world advice.

Launch and review

Use launch and review to make decisions inspectable.

Write launch checks, monitoring, feedback and next steps.

Teaching example: Retain issue logs and rollback conditions after release.. Predict the result, independently check the key step, and compare these assumptions with the actual role. Do not use demonstration results as real-world advice.

Worked example · fictional

From a problem to inspectable work

Synthetic product: an initial cohort has 100 users; 25 return on day 7, alongside 75 newly active users; total active is 100.

1. Original-cohort return is 25/100=25%; 75 new users do not belong in its numerator.
2. Further judgment: Stable total active users establish healthy retention?
3. Separate cohorts, activation, repeat use and acquisition

Deliver product requirements and validation plan: the calculation reference is 25; the recommendation must respect Separate cohorts, activation, repeat use and acquisition. Separate numbers, inference and unknowns.

Failure case and repair

In Prioritisation and trade-offs, copy tool output without definitions, then retain the conclusion when asked: Stable total active users establish healthy retention?

Even a result of 25 does not explain when Separate cohorts, activation, repeat use and acquisition is supported.

Original-cohort return is 25/100=25%; 75 new users do not belong in its numerator. Then test assumptions in Prototypes and validation.