qa-aman/product-thinking

Product Thinking

Interactive skill that builds product thinking through 5 structured exercises. Outputs a Product Thinking Brief that feeds into spec writing.

This is the "thinking before writing" layer — run this BEFORE drafting any spec.

Workflow

1. Gather context — Ask user for: feature idea, target users, motivation
2. Read source files — Personas, product context, feedback, competitors (only relevant files)
3. Run 5 exercises — Present findings, get user validation at each step
4. Write brief — Output to file or print

The 5 Exercises

Exercise 1: Problem Statement

Answer four questions with evidence:

| Dimension | What to Answer | |-----------|---------------| | Who | Specific persona (not generic "users") | | Evidence | Cite feedback, pilot data, research — not assertions | | Impact if unsolved | Quantify or describe the cost of inaction | | Why unsolved | Technical, behavioral, or systemic barriers |

Exercise 2: 11-Star Experience Ladder

For THIS specific feature, describe star levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. Identify realistic target for current phase.

See references/11-star-framework.md for the full framework.

Output: Table + "Target Star Level: {N} — {rationale}"

Exercise 3: Positioning Statement

Geoffrey Moore's framework:

"For [target users], who [need/pain], [product/feature] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [competitors], it [differentiator]."

• Pull target users from persona files
• Include "current manual process" as a competitor if no direct competitor exists

Exercise 4: Product Principles

Define 3-5 guardrails for this feature:

| Principle | Description | Following It | Violating It | |-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------| | e.g., "Offline-first" | Works without internet | Auto-sync when connected | Require internet for core flow |

Exercise 5: Success Vision

Answer in 2-3 paragraph narrative:

• Done well in 6 months — Describe the ideal outcome
• Behavior change expected — How will users act differently?
• Kill criteria — What evidence would make us kill this feature?

Output Format

# Product Thinking Brief — {Feature Name}

**Date:** {DD-MM-YYYY}
**Author:** [your name]

## 1. Problem Statement
[table from Exercise 1]

## 2. 11-Star Experience
[table from Exercise 2]
**Target Star Level:** {N} — {rationale}

## 3. Positioning Statement
> For [target users], who [need/pain]...

## 4. Product Principles
[table from Exercise 4]

## 5. Success Vision
[narrative from Exercise 5]

## Next Step
Use this brief as input for your PRD/spec writing skill.

Anti-Patterns

• Don't skip the problem statement — it's the foundation
• Don't set target star level above 7 for early phases — be realistic
• Don't write generic principles — they should be specific enough to be falsifiable
• Don't skip kill criteria — knowing when to stop is as important as knowing what to build

Quality Checklist

• [ ] Problem statement has evidence, not just assertions
• [ ] 11-star ladder is specific to THIS feature, not generic
• [ ] Positioning statement names a real competitor or current process
• [ ] Principles are falsifiable (you can tell when they're violated)
• [ ] Kill criteria are defined