Mental models

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Frameworks are thinking tools, not scripts. Learn the structure, see it worked, then use it inside a realistic case.

12frameworks4decision types

Prioritization

Compare options, expose tradeoffs, and commit to scope.

RICE

Define the scope and time window · Estimate Reach with real numbers · Assign Impact from the fixed scale · Apply Confidence as a discount for uncertainty · Estimate Effort in person-months · Compute, rank, then sanity-check

Score ideas by Reach × Impact × Confidence ÷ Effort.

Prioritization6 steps · 5-min read

MoSCoW

Fix the timebox and the goal first · Define 'Must' as the Minimum Usable SubseT · Split Should vs. Could by the pain of leaving it out · Explicitly record the Won't-haves · Enforce the effort-balance rule · Re-run at each level and cadence

Must / Should / Could / Won't — scope negotiation made explicit.

Prioritization6 steps · 5-min read

2x2Prioritization

Define impact and effort concretely first · List every candidate initiative · Score each on impact, then effort, independently · Plot into the four quadrants · Sequence and commit to a decision

Two axes, four quadrants — the fastest way to compare options visibly.

Prioritization5 steps · 5-min read

Kano Model

List candidate features · Ask the functional AND dysfunctional question per feature · Classify each feature via the Kano evaluation table · Quantify with the Better/Worse (CS) coefficients · Sequence the roadmap by category · Re-run periodically because categories decay

Sort features by how they drive satisfaction: must-be, performance, delighter.

Prioritization6 steps · 6-min read

Metrics & analytics

Choose signals that reveal value, movement, and risk.

AARRR(Pirate Metrics)

Acquisition — how users find you · Activation — the first 'aha' moment · Retention — do they come back · Referral — do they bring others · Revenue — do they pay · Instrument, benchmark, and iterate one stage at a time

The funnel: Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue.

Metrics & analytics6 steps · 5-min read

HEART

Pick only the relevant HEART categories · Write a Goal sentence per category · Brainstorm Signals — observable behaviors or attitudes · Pick one or two Metrics per signal · Instrument, baseline, and set a target

Google's UX metrics: Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, Task success.

Metrics & analytics5 steps · 5-min read

North Star

Anchor to the core value customers get · Draft it as an OUTPUT metric that is a leading indicator · Pressure-test it against the quality bar · Decompose it into 3-5 Input metrics you can actually move · Assign inputs to teams and name a counter-metric

One metric that captures the value you deliver — everything else drives it.

Metrics & analytics5 steps · 5-min read

Design & discovery

Understand people, frame the problem, and shape solutions.

CIRCLES

Comprehend the situation · Identify the customer · Report the customer's needs · Cut through prioritization · List solutions · Evaluate tradeoffs · Summarize your recommendation

The end-to-end scaffold for product design questions.

Design & discovery7 steps · 6-min read

Jobs-to-be-Done

Define the job (situation → motivation → outcome) · Uncover the three job dimensions · Identify the real competition · Map the Four Forces of the switch · Translate the job into a testable spec and success metric

Users hire products to do a job — design for the job, not the demographic.

Design & discovery5 steps · 5-min read

Double Diamond

Discover (diverge on the problem) · Define (converge on the problem) · Develop (diverge on solutions) · Deliver (converge on the solution)

Diverge then converge, twice: explore the problem, then the solution.

Design & discovery4 steps · 6-min read

Value Proposition Canvas(Fit)

Pick one specific customer segment · Map Customer Jobs (functional, social, emotional) · List Pains · List Gains · Rank the profile by importance and severity · Build the Value Map to mirror the ranked profile · Check fit and state which kind you've shown

Fit what you build to the customer's jobs, pains, and gains.

Design & discovery7 steps · 6-min read

Growth & strategy

Decide where to play, what to test, and how to win.

SWOT

Anchor to a decision first · Strengths (internal +) · Weaknesses (internal −) · Opportunities (external +) · Threats (external −) · Cross the quadrants (the TOWS move)

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats — internal vs external.

Growth & strategy6 steps · 4-min read