Effective problem solving as a Product Manager
A step-by-step guide
The primary responsibility of any product manager(PM) is to solve problems on behalf of the customer while at the same time generating value for the business.
PMs face problems daily. These could range from a customer complaining about how a specific feature is working or an internal stakeholder whose needs haven’t been met.
To solve any problem, the following steps need to be taken:
Clearly define the problem
Define the ideal state
Create a solution to the problem
In this article, I will dive deeper into how to approach a problem with the above steps.
Problem definition
It’s important to have a deep understanding of what exactly the problem is before proceeding to the next step. Some key steps to be taken:
Validate with the relevant parties: These could be users or internal stakeholders. They’re the first reference point in case a problem occurs. Before formulating hypotheses or high-level solutions as a PM you need to validate the problem exists with the relevant parties.
Example: Users are dropping off at the home page of your app. It’s important to validate this by talking to users or checking analytics data that confirms the above
Clear definition of the problem: This involves going deep and understanding the root cause of the problem and documenting it in detail.
Example: Users are dropping off at the home page because the home page is too cluttered.
Defining the ideal state
This is the vision stating what happens after the problem has been solved. Key steps to take at this stage:
Define the objective: This outlines what will happen if the problem is solved. Example: The app’s vision is to increase the number of sign-ups by 50% before the end of the quarter
Define key metrics: These metrics will serve as a guide to ensure that your solution is working as it should.
Example: You could set a definite metric on the number of sign-ups and also include Monthly Active Users who’ve been on the app to measure levels of engagement.
Defining the solution
You’ve identified the problem and set out the direction that you’d like to achieve. The final step is to come up with a solution that solves the problem. Here’s what you should do:
Come up with hypotheses: These will serve as the basis of experiments to be used during the solution phase.
Example: If users are dropping off due to a cluttered homepage, the redesign of the app home page should be simple with minimal features
Ideas should be relevant to the problem: The problem and ideal state will dictate the nature of ideas to be taken into consideration
Bonus tips
Take time to clearly understand the problem: The problem definition is the most crucial step as it sets the direction of the subsequent steps. Ensure you take your time as much as possible to clearly define the problem.
Iterate: The solution phase is an iterative process. In most cases you may not find the right solution in the first step. Be patient and run as many experiments a possible to validate your solution.
Conclusion
Problem-solving is a crucial and effective skill that every PM needs to have. To solve problems effectively you must understand the problem, define the vision and ideal state after resolving the problem, finally ideate a solution and test if it works.
Further references
Improve your product by problem-solving
https://thinkproduct.org/2020/08/27/3-step-problem-solving-approach-for-product-managers/
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/1/how-do-you-ideate-solve-problems-products-skills-product-management