Module 2: Product Management Frameworks

Module Overview

This module explores essential frameworks that help product managers organize their thinking, communicate effectively, and make better decisions. You'll learn when and how to apply different frameworks to address common product management challenges.

Strategic Frameworks

Product Vision Framework

A clear product vision provides direction and alignment for all product decisions. The Product Vision Framework helps you articulate where your product is headed and why it matters.

Components:

• Target Customers: Who will use and benefit from your product
• Customer Needs: What problems or desires your product addresses
• Key Benefits: How your product creates value for users
• Primary Differentiators: What makes your product unique
• Strategic Objectives: How the product supports business goals

Opportunity Assessment Framework

Before investing in new product opportunities, this framework helps evaluate their potential value and feasibility.

Key Questions:

1. What problem are we solving? (Problem)
2. For whom are we solving it? (Target Market)
3. How big is the opportunity? (Market Size)
4. How will we measure success? (Success Metrics)
5. What alternatives are available? (Competitive Landscape)
6. Why are we best positioned to pursue this? (Our Advantage)
7. Why now? (Market Timing)
8. How will we get this product to market? (Go-to-Market Strategy)
9. What factors are critical to success? (Success Factors)
10. Given the above, what's the recommendation? (Go/No-go Decision)

Product Strategy Canvas

This framework helps align your product strategy with business objectives and customer needs.

Elements:

• Business Objectives: What the company aims to achieve
• Customer Segments: Who you're targeting
• Customer Problems: What needs you're addressing
• Solution Approach: How you'll solve these problems
• Value Proposition: Why customers will choose your solution
• Key Metrics: How you'll measure success
• Competitive Advantage: What makes your approach sustainable

Prioritization Frameworks

RICE Scoring Model

RICE helps prioritize features or initiatives by evaluating four factors:

• Reach: How many users will this impact in a given time period?
• Impact: How much will it affect those users on a scale (minimal, low, medium, high, massive)?
• Confidence: How confident are you in your estimates (100%, 80%, 50%)?
• Effort: How many "person-months" will this take to implement?

The RICE score is calculated as: (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort

Kano Model

The Kano Model categorizes features based on customer satisfaction:

• Basic Features: Must-have functionality that causes dissatisfaction when absent but doesn't increase satisfaction when present
• Performance Features: Features where more functionality leads to more satisfaction linearly
• Excitement Features: Unexpected features that delight users but don't cause dissatisfaction when absent
• Indifferent Features: Features that neither satisfy nor dissatisfy users
• Reverse Features: Features that cause dissatisfaction when present

Value vs. Effort Matrix

This simple 2×2 matrix helps visualize and prioritize features based on:

• High Value, Low Effort: Quick wins (do first)
• High Value, High Effort: Major projects (plan carefully)
• Low Value, Low Effort: Fill-ins (do if time permits)
• Low Value, High Effort: Time sinks (avoid)

Customer-Focused Frameworks

Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)

JTBD focuses on understanding what "job" customers are "hiring" your product to do. It helps identify the functional, emotional, and social dimensions of customer needs.

JTBD Statement Format:

"When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome]."

Empathy Map

This framework helps teams develop deep, shared understanding of users by considering:

• Says: What the user says out loud
• Thinks: What the user is thinking
• Does: The user's actions and behaviors
• Feels: The user's emotional state

Customer Journey Map

This visualization tool maps the entire customer experience with your product across multiple touchpoints and stages:

• Stages: Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Onboarding, Usage, Renewal, Advocacy
• Touchpoints: Where and how customers interact with your product
• Actions: What customers do at each stage
• Thoughts: What customers think during each interaction
• Emotions: How customers feel throughout the journey
• Pain Points: Challenges or frustrations customers experience
• Opportunities: Potential improvements to enhance the experience

Framework Selection Guide

Choosing the right framework depends on the specific challenge you're facing:

When You Need To...	Consider Using...
Define product direction	Product Vision Framework
Evaluate new opportunities	Opportunity Assessment Framework
Align product with business goals	Product Strategy Canvas
Prioritize features objectively	RICE Scoring Model
Understand feature impact on satisfaction	Kano Model
Make quick prioritization decisions	Value vs. Effort Matrix
Understand customer motivations	Jobs To Be Done
Develop customer understanding	Empathy Map
Improve the end-to-end experience	Customer Journey Map