Ability to understand a user’s or customer’s perspective is one of the most core skills of Product Management. This skill would be very useful for any leadership or strategy roles - however Product Managers would be the people expected to have mastered this skillset.
In the recent times (since I have started making products for B2C market) I have seen myself make mistakes - totally missing the point of Onboarding a User or Presenting a Landing Page for the product.
I want to invest some time into developing a framework or ritual that would help me get into the user’s shoes and avoid the mistakes that occur.
Describing the Problem, Solution, and the User
Within any document - for instance a PRD, I need to describe the three main elements that lead to engineering: There has to be a problem, Someone must be actively facing those problems, and there has to be a solution.
So every problem I ever try to solve, needs to begin with writing about these three elements. Let’s take an example. I want to redesign the landing page for Pitch Like This - so here’s how I would start:
Problem I am Solving
Job Seekers finding it difficult to convert an opportunity. Low application to conversion rates.
Solution to the Problem
A interactive and personalized pitch that can be generated for every individual opportunity.
Who is the User
Those currently looking for Jobs
Stepping into the User’s Shoes
The user’s are the ones currently looking for a job. Now I need to imagine myself to be them and list all their behaviours.
Becoming my product’s user
Persona A
I am an engineer with three years of experience looking for my next role with high expectations on salary and quality of problem I am contributing to solve. Also expecting a stable company with good runway.
Pain Point
- My resumes are not getting shortlisted
- I am not converting as many interviews as I am spending time applying
- I am investing a lot of timely daily applying