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Use problem framing to define the problem to solve

This week, Tom Parson and Krishna Raha share tools and frameworks to identify and address challenges effectively, while Voltage Control highlights how design thinking turns abstract issues into user-centered solutions. Dan Olsen warns against rushing into solutions, emphasizing the need to deeply explore the problem space for true product-market fit.

In product news, Perplexity’s sponsored AI answers spark debate on trust and control, while Netflix’s ad-supported plans thrive, showing people prefer ads to higher costs. Amazon, however, shut down Freevee for competing too well with Prime Video, revealing the fine balance of business models. Finally, Sonos’ botched app redesign reminds us how execution can make or break even the best ideas.

Paul McAvinchey, Co-founder at Product Collective

Effective problem framing. Getting the most out of your digital product starts with understanding the lived experiences of those using it and using this to identify any challenges and areas for improvement. Tom Parson explains how to make sense of research findings to uncover the right problems to solve and some useful brainstorming tools.

Framing a business problem as a data science problem. In the process of product development, encountering challenges is inevitable. However, the approach to addressing these challenges can make all the difference. One critical aspect often overlooked is problem framing. This revelation highlights a critical issue plaguing even the most esteemed organizations — the inability to accurately identify and tackle core challenges. Krishna Raha explains problem framing, its significance, and different problem-framing frameworks.

Mastering problem framing and solution finding in design thinking. Design thinking champions a user-centric approach, aiming to address intricate challenges through empathy, ideation, and iterative testing. The quintessence of design thinking lies in the nuanced skills of problem framing and solution finding—skills that are pivotal in turning abstract issues into tangible, user-focused outcomes. The folks at Voltage Control explain that problem framing is the art of defining and understanding the challenge at hand, not just at its surface level but in a manner that uncovers the underlying needs and motivations of users.

Problem statement technique brief. In order to find out the real reason you’re working on a product, Kent McDonald explains how to do the problem statement exercise with your team. The problem statement is a structured set of statements that describe the purpose of an effort in terms of what problem it’s trying to solve. It ensures you have clarity on your desired outcomes, and it helps your team get a shared understanding of those desired outcomes.

Mastering the Problem Space to Achieve Product-Market Fit. A lot of new products and companies fail because they don’t achieve product/market fit. Dan Olsen, the author of The Lean Product Playbook, argues that this is because too many teams focus on the solution space of features and UX while ignoring the foundations of the problem space. It’s all too easy to get stuck in the solution space. After all, we all love designing products and jumping into building things. But our job as product managers is to focus on the problem space, explore it as much as possible, and make sure that what we build is actually solving a customer problem.

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Fireside Chat: Unlocking Your Transformation to the Product Operating Model

Wednesday, December 11th @ 01:00 PM EST

The product operating model is revolutionizing product management and changing how companies operate. Join this fireside chat to learn about the product operating model, why it’s a game-changer for positioning companies toward long-term success, and, most importantly, how your team can make the shift.

In this session, we’ll host Atlassian Product Management Evangelist Axel Sooriah to discuss how to:

• Collaborate with the rest of the organization to identify new areas of value
• Build a strategy based on customer insights and expected outcomes
• Prioritize work using tested frameworks and methodologies
• Engage the rest of the team and communicate plans and decisions

​Join us for what will undoubtedly be an illuminating session about the product operating model!

Resources and news curated by Kent J. McDonald.