Add comprehensive Product Manager process document for OctoAcme

docs/octoacme-product-manager-process.md

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+# OctoAcme — Product Manager Process
+
+## Purpose
+Define the core workflows, responsibilities, and deliverables for Product Managers to effectively drive product strategy, prioritize features, and measure outcomes that deliver customer and business value.
+
+## Primary Responsibilities
+- **Product Vision & Strategy**: Define and communicate the product vision, roadmap, and strategic priorities
+- **Backlog Management**: Prioritize features, write acceptance criteria, and maintain a healthy product backlog
+- **Stakeholder Alignment**: Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and ensure stakeholder buy-in
+- **Outcome Measurement**: Define success metrics, track product performance, and iterate based on data
+- **Customer Advocacy**: Represent customer needs and validate solutions through research and feedback
+
+## Core Workflows
+
+### 1. Product Discovery & Vision Setting
+- Conduct customer research and competitive analysis
+- Define problem statements and opportunity sizing
+- Create product vision and strategic objectives
+- Align with leadership on product priorities and resource allocation
+
+### 2. Roadmap Planning & Prioritization
+- Develop quarterly and annual product roadmaps
+- Prioritize features using framework (e.g., RICE, MoSCoW, Value vs. Effort)
+- Balance customer needs, business goals, and technical constraints
+- Communicate roadmap changes and rationale to stakeholders
+
+### 3. Feature Definition & Requirements
+- Write detailed feature specifications and user stories
+- Define acceptance criteria and success metrics
+- Create wireframes, mockups, or prototypes as needed
+- Collaborate with design and engineering on technical feasibility
+
+### 4. Cross-functional Collaboration
+- Lead product planning meetings and sprint planning
+- Work with engineering on technical trade-offs and scope decisions
+- Partner with marketing on go-to-market strategy and positioning
+- Coordinate with sales and support on customer feedback and needs
+
+### 5. Measurement & Iteration
+- Define and track key product metrics (KPIs)
+- Analyze user behavior and product performance data
+- Conduct A/B tests and feature experiments
+- Gather customer feedback and iterate on solutions
+
+## Key Deliverables
+
+### Product Strategy Documents
+- Product vision statement and strategic objectives
+- Quarterly and annual product roadmaps
+- Competitive analysis and market research summaries
+- Customer personas and journey maps
+
+### Feature Specifications
+- Epic and user story definitions
+- Acceptance criteria and success metrics
+- Technical requirements and constraints
+- Go-to-market plans for major features
+
+### Performance Reports
+- Monthly product metrics and KPI dashboards
+- Feature performance analysis and recommendations
+- Customer feedback summaries and action items
+- Roadmap updates and priority changes
+
+## Stakeholder Alignment Framework
+
+### Regular Communication Cadence
+- **Weekly**: Sync with engineering leads on delivery progress and blockers
+- **Bi-weekly**: Review metrics and customer feedback with leadership
+- **Monthly**: Present roadmap updates to stakeholders and executives
+- **Quarterly**: Conduct strategic planning and roadmap review sessions
+
+### Key Stakeholder Groups
+- **Engineering**: Technical feasibility, effort estimation, delivery timelines
+- **Design**: User experience, design requirements, usability testing
+- **Marketing**: Positioning, messaging, go-to-market strategy
+- **Sales**: Customer needs, competitive landscape, revenue impact
+- **Support**: Customer issues, feature requests, usability feedback
+- **Leadership**: Strategic alignment, resource allocation, business metrics
+
+## Backlog Management Process
+
+### Backlog Health Criteria
+- Stories are properly sized (small enough for one sprint)
+- Acceptance criteria are clear and testable
+- Priority order reflects current business strategy
+- Dependencies are identified and communicated
+- Sufficient backlog depth for 2-3 sprints ahead
+
+### Prioritization Framework
+1. **Business Value**: Impact on revenue, customer satisfaction, or strategic goals
+2. **Customer Impact**: Number of users affected and severity of need
+3. **Effort & Complexity**: Development time, technical risk, and dependencies
+4. **Strategic Alignment**: Fit with product vision and company objectives
+
+### Backlog Refinement Activities
+- Regular grooming sessions with engineering team
+- Story breakdown and acceptance criteria refinement
+- Priority adjustments based on new data or feedback
+- Risk assessment and dependency management
+
+## Measurement & Continuous Improvement
+
+### Success Metrics Framework
+- **Product Metrics**: Usage, engagement, retention, conversion rates
+- **Business Metrics**: Revenue, customer acquisition, market share
+- **Customer Metrics**: Satisfaction scores, support tickets, feature requests
+- **Team Metrics**: Velocity, cycle time, delivery predictability
+
+### Data-Driven Decision Making
+- Establish baseline metrics for new features
+- Define hypothesis and success criteria before launch
+- Monitor post-launch performance and user feedback
+- Iterate based on data insights and customer needs
+
+### Continuous Learning Process
+- Conduct regular user research and customer interviews
+- Analyze support tickets and feature requests for patterns
+- Review competitor activities and market trends
+- Participate in industry events and product management communities
+
+## Product Manager Toolkit
+
+### Feature Specification Template
+```
+**Feature Name**: 
+**Problem Statement**: 
+**Success Metrics**: 
+**User Stories**: 
+  - As a [user type], I want [goal] so that [benefit]
+**Acceptance Criteria**: 
+  - [ ] Criterion 1
+  - [ ] Criterion 2
+**Dependencies**: 
+**Technical Considerations**: 
+**Go-to-Market Plan**: 
+```
+
+### Roadmap Planning Checklist
+- [ ] Customer research and feedback incorporated
+- [ ] Business objectives and strategy alignment confirmed
+- [ ] Engineering effort estimates obtained
+- [ ] Dependencies and risks identified
+- [ ] Success metrics and tracking plan defined
+- [ ] Stakeholder review and approval completed
+- [ ] Communication plan for roadmap changes established
+
+### Sprint Planning Checklist
+- [ ] Backlog prioritized based on current strategy
+- [ ] Stories have clear acceptance criteria
+- [ ] Team capacity and velocity considered
+- [ ] Dependencies resolved or escalated
+- [ ] Definition of Done reviewed and agreed
+- [ ] Success metrics tracking plan in place
+
+### Monthly Review Checklist
+- [ ] Product metrics analyzed and trends identified
+- [ ] Customer feedback reviewed and categorized
+- [ ] Roadmap progress assessed against plan
+- [ ] Stakeholder updates prepared and delivered
+- [ ] Priority adjustments made based on new data
+- [ ] Team retrospective feedback incorporated
+
+## Escalation & Decision Framework
+
+### Decision Authority
+- **Feature Prioritization**: Product Manager owns day-to-day priority decisions
+- **Roadmap Changes**: Requires stakeholder alignment for major shifts
+- **Resource Allocation**: Escalate to Product Lead or leadership team
+- **Technical Trade-offs**: Collaborate with Engineering Lead on decisions
+
+### Escalation Paths
+- **Level 1**: Team-level discussions and consensus building
+- **Level 2**: Product Lead involvement for strategic decisions
+- **Level 3**: Leadership escalation for business-critical issues
+
+### Conflict Resolution
+- Present data and customer evidence to support decisions
+- Facilitate cross-functional discussions to find win-win solutions
+- Escalate to appropriate leadership when consensus cannot be reached
+- Document decisions and rationale for future reference
+
+## Communication Guidelines
+
+### Status Update Template
+**Product Progress This Week**:
+- Key features delivered:
+- Metrics highlights:
+- Customer feedback summary:
+
+**Next Steps**:
+- Priority features in development:
+- Upcoming research or testing:
+- Stakeholder decisions needed:
+
+**Risks & Blockers**:
+- Technical dependencies:
+- Resource constraints:
+- External dependencies:
+
+### Feature Launch Communication
+- Pre-launch: Notify stakeholders of timeline and success metrics
+- Launch: Announce availability and key benefits to users
+- Post-launch: Share performance data and next iteration plans
+
+---
+
+*This document should be referenced alongside the [Product Manager role definition](octoacme-roles-and-personas.md) and other OctoAcme process documentation for comprehensive guidance.*