Great products don’t just come around. Building a product requires vision, planning, research. And often lots of meetings. Product management frameworks will help you keep a structured process and stay focused.
But which frameworks exist? Which ones are good for you? Here’s a quick guide to help you navigate the options.
Product management frameworks are structured approaches to developing and launching products. These tools help product managers carry out their strategy from idea to result. Product frameworks help both junior and seasoned product managers become more efficient.
Product development is a complex process. You can’t tackle every step with the same framework. And depending on how your product team operates, some models might be a better fit than others. Luckily, you can have your pick between countless methods.
We’ll bucket them into 4 types of product management frameworks.
Product teams want to bring successful products to market by making better decisions. Product management frameworks will get you one step closer to that goal. They have many benefits.
Yet there are a few pitfalls to keep in mind.
Like any tool, it’s important to pick a product management framework that fits your needs. Below, you’ll find a few examples to get started.
During product discovery, product managers get a deep understanding of their customer’s needs. Discovery frameworks expose and translate these needs into a product or feature.
Ash Maurya’s Lean Canvas is an adaptation to the business model canvas. Lean Canvas has become popular among startups. It’s a great canvas for exploring, based on 9 simple blocks.
In the Lean Canvas, you’ll jot down the essentials in minutes. Problem, solution, USP, market segments and more. The result is a simplified business model in less than an hour.
The double diamond framework takes you through two brainstorms.
You will first identify every possible challenge you want to solve. Then, you’ll narrow it down to the key problem you want to focus on.
Once you pinned down the problem, you will do the same by ideating as many solutions as possible. Then, you’ll settle down on the most fitting solution.
The double diamond method is great for product teams that want to innovate. Create diverse user stories to look beyond the most straightforward solution at hand.
Every product manager has faced the challenge of prioritization. There are a ton of models that make the job at hand easier.
The kano model is a simple framework to prioritize features based on two key factors.
If you struggle to align your product roadmap with business objectives, give kano a try. Whether your focus is business continuity, innovation or both.
The RICE method evaluates product ideas on 4 factors.
With RICE, product teams can quickly spot both low-hanging fruit and long-term gains. It is a great framework to go from strategy to a tactical product roadmap.
Jake Knapp from Google Ventures came up with the 5 phases of the Design Sprint Methodology. With one phase for each workday, you can test new ideas faster. This time-bound method is great for teams who struggle with time management.
Below are the five stages of the design sprint.
The CIRCLES method organizes your responses to product design questions. Many product managers use this method to ace their product manager job interviews.
With these 7 steps, you’ll be able to answer any product design question thoughtfully.
The North Star framework aligns your entire product strategy around a single metric. This method works best for high level strategic alignment. It connects the product vision directly to business objectives.
If you want to build customer-centric products, the Jobs-to-be-Done Theory is one of the best frameworks. Before anything else, it looks at the customer's needs.
For example:
❌ People don't want customer support software.
✅ Instead, they want happy customers.
The method helps you uncover unmet needs, and expose what your customer needs to achieve their goals. By optimizing for outcomes, your product strategy will put the customer at the center.
Anthony Ulwick's book, Jobs to be done, is a great resource to get started with this framework.
Choosing from so many frameworks can be an overwhelming task. Here are a few questions to answer before you decide.
With these guiding questions, you’ll get a better assessment of your current status and needs.
Building a product is a complex process. But with the right framework at hand, you’ll be equipped to build the best product experience for your customers. We encourage you to play around with these models to find out what works best for you.
Is customer-facing analytics currently on your roadmap? We’ve built a framework for product managers to assess and improve their current reporting features. Read the whitepaper below to explore the Customer Analytics Experience framework.
