diff --git a/docs/octoacme-product-manager-process.md b/docs/octoacme-product-manager-process.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..37c1428 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/octoacme-product-manager-process.md @@ -0,0 +1,169 @@ +# OctoAcme — Product Manager Process Guide + +## Purpose +Define the structured approach for Product Managers at OctoAcme to drive customer value, manage product backlogs, and measure success throughout the product development lifecycle. + +## Key Responsibilities + +### Strategic Planning +- Define problem statements and measurable success metrics +- Own the product vision and communicate it effectively to stakeholders +- Prioritize the roadmap and backlog based on customer value and business impact +- Collaborate with stakeholders and engineering teams on trade-offs + +### Product Discovery & Validation +- Conduct user research to validate assumptions and gather insights +- Define acceptance criteria and feature specifications +- Validate solutions through data analysis and user feedback +- Ensure product-market fit and usability standards + +### Cross-functional Collaboration +- Weekly alignment with Project Managers and engineering leads +- Partner with design, engineering, and QA teams on feature delivery +- Coordinate with sales, marketing, and support teams for go-to-market activities +- Facilitate stakeholder communication and manage expectations + +## Planning & Backlog Management + +### Roadmap Planning +- Create and maintain product roadmaps aligned with OctoAcme's customer-first principle +- Break down features into deliverable increments following iterative delivery approach +- Balance short-term wins with long-term strategic objectives +- Communicate timeline dependencies and resource requirements + +### Backlog Prioritization +- Use data-informed decisions to prioritize backlog items +- Apply frameworks such as value vs. effort analysis +- Maintain clear ownership of prioritization decisions +- Regularly review and adjust priorities based on new insights + +### Backlog Item Template +- Title: +- Problem statement: +- User story / Acceptance criteria: +- Success metrics: +- Priority (High/Medium/Low): +- Dependencies: +- Effort estimate (collaboration with engineering): + +### Sprint Planning Support +- Participate in sprint planning to clarify requirements +- Ensure acceptance criteria are clear and testable +- Support Definition of Done alignment +- Address questions and provide context during planning + +## Stakeholder Communication + +### Regular Communication Cadence +- Weekly alignment meetings with Project Managers and engineering leads +- Bi-weekly stakeholder updates on product progress and metrics +- Monthly roadmap reviews and strategic planning sessions +- Quarterly business reviews with leadership + +### Communication Templates + +**Weekly Status Update:** +- Key accomplishments: +- Upcoming priorities: +- Blockers or decisions needed: +- Metrics update: +- Stakeholder feedback summary: + +**Roadmap Update:** +- Strategic objectives: +- Planned releases and timelines: +- Feature priorities and rationale: +- Dependencies and risks: +- Success metrics and targets: + +### Stakeholder Management +- Maintain stakeholder map with communication preferences +- Provide regular updates using a single source of truth +- Escalate issues following OctoAcme's escalation paths +- Facilitate cross-team alignment and decision-making + +## Metrics & Success Measurement + +### Key Performance Indicators +- Customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS) +- Feature adoption rates and usage metrics +- User engagement and retention metrics +- Business impact metrics (revenue, conversion rates, etc.) +- Product quality metrics (bug rates, performance) + +### Data Collection & Analysis +- Define measurement strategy for each feature or initiative +- Set up tracking and analytics before feature launch +- Create dashboards for key signals and metrics +- Conduct regular data review sessions with stakeholders + +### Success Criteria Definition +- Establish clear, measurable success criteria for each initiative +- Use SMART goals framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) +- Document success metrics in Project One-pagers +- Track progress against defined metrics and communicate results + +### Learning & Iteration +- Conduct post-launch reviews to measure against success criteria +- Gather user feedback and identify areas for improvement +- Apply learnings to future planning and prioritization +- Document insights and best practices for team knowledge sharing + +## Best Practices + +### Customer-First Approach +- Always prioritize customer value and usability in decision-making +- Regularly engage with customers through research, interviews, and feedback channels +- Use customer insights to validate product decisions +- Advocate for user experience in all product discussions + +### Data-Informed Decision Making +- Base prioritization decisions on quantitative and qualitative data +- Establish hypothesis-driven development approach +- Measure impact and iterate based on evidence +- Maintain healthy skepticism and validate assumptions + +### Collaborative Leadership +- Foster psychological safety within the product team +- Encourage feedback and open communication +- Support team learning and continuous improvement +- Practice transparent communication about priorities and trade-offs + +### Documentation & Knowledge Sharing +- Maintain clear and up-to-date product documentation +- Document decision rationale and context for future reference +- Share learnings and insights with the broader product team +- Contribute to OctoAcme's product knowledge base + +### Risk Management +- Identify and communicate product risks early +- Develop mitigation strategies for high-impact risks +- Coordinate with Project Managers on dependency management +- Escalate blocking issues following defined escalation paths + +## Integration with OctoAcme Processes + +### Project Lifecycle Alignment +- **Initiation**: Contribute to Project One-pager with problem statements and success metrics +- **Planning**: Lead backlog prioritization and acceptance criteria definition +- **Execution**: Provide ongoing clarification and accept completed features +- **Release**: Validate release readiness and support go-to-market activities +- **Retrospective**: Participate in retrospectives and contribute to continuous improvement + +### Artifact Ownership +- Product Vision and Strategy documents +- Product Roadmap and Release Plans +- Prioritized Product Backlog +- Feature specifications and acceptance criteria +- Success metrics and KPI dashboards +- User research findings and insights + +### Cross-Role Collaboration +- Partner with Project Managers on delivery coordination and risk management +- Collaborate with Developers on technical feasibility and implementation approach +- Work with QA/Testing teams on acceptance criteria validation +- Coordinate with stakeholders on requirements gathering and feedback + +--- + +This process guide should be used in conjunction with other OctoAcme documentation including the Project Management Overview, Roles and Personas, and specific process guides for planning, execution, and retrospectives. \ No newline at end of file