In today’s fast-paced, highly competitive, and digitalized world, the role of a product manager comes with immense challenges. This article is based on my personal reflections and highlights the core thinking abilities every product manager should possess. Let’s dive into these essential insights!

1. Background

As a product manager, I’ve deeply felt the immense challenges we face in this era of digitization and intense competition.

Every day, I navigate a sea of data, user feedback, and market trends to find the right direction.

At first, I thought that mastering the latest technologies and keeping track of every little market change was all I needed to succeed. However, as time passed, I gradually realized this wasn’t enough.

I observed many fellow product managers, highly knowledgeable and deeply understanding of the market, yet their products didn’t always succeed. This made me wonder: what were we missing?

Eventually, I realized that knowledge and market insight, while important, don’t fully guarantee product management success.

A far more crucial factor came to light—the ability to discern the root of problems. This ability means seeing beyond surface issues, understanding the true motivations behind user behavior, and anticipating potential shifts in market trends.

I started shifting my focus from merely accumulating knowledge to cultivating this keen sense of insight.

Whenever I encountered a problem, I no longer sought immediate answers but instead dug deeper into its roots.

I asked myself, "Why does this problem exist? What are the real needs of the users? What are the deeper market shifts at play?" Through this kind of thinking, I gradually learned to find clues within complex information, allowing me to more accurately discern the essence of a problem.

2. The Chain Questioning Method

To truly understand the core of an issue, a special technique is required: the Chain Questioning Method. It’s not just a skill but a form of mental training. It taught me never to settle for surface answers but to continuously dig deeper by asking "Why?"

I remember one instance where our product encountered difficulties. User feedback was less than ideal, with younger users showing decreased interest, but we couldn’t immediately grasp the reason.

At that point, I employed the Chain Questioning Method to solve the problem of "our product failing to adapt to the younger users' demand for social media interaction features."

First, I asked myself, "Why have younger users lost interest in our product?" By analyzing the feedback, I noticed frequent mentions of the lack of seamless integration with social media and interactive features.

Next, I asked, "What assumptions about users were our product design and features based on?" Reviewing our early user research, I found that our assumptions were rooted in the idea that young users primarily valued practicality and performance, neglecting their growing emphasis on social interaction.

I then asked, "Have these user assumptions changed over the past year?" I discovered that with the rapid rise of social media, young users’ needs had shifted from purely product usage to desiring social media interaction and experience sharing. They wanted to easily share their experiences and achievements while using the product.

Finally, I asked, "Has our product kept up with these changes?" The answer was no. While technologically advanced, our product lagged in social media integration and interaction features. We had failed to capture the growing demand for social media interaction among younger users.

Through this series of questions, I realized that to regain younger users, we needed to add more social media interaction elements to our product, such as achievement-sharing features and interactive interfaces for friends. This discovery not only helped us reposition our product but also reminded my team and me to remain sensitive to changing user demands.

Later, our team launched an app aimed at boosting productivity. Despite reaching what we thought was a market-leading level in features and design, user feedback was less enthusiastic than expected. I delved deeply into the problem.

I first asked, "Why aren’t users embracing this product as we anticipated?" Through in-depth feedback analysis, I found that although the app was powerful, users felt it lacked a personal, emotional touch.

I continued, "What user experience assumptions were our product design based on?" Upon reflection, I realized that we had focused more on technical implementation and feature optimization, overlooking users’ emotional needs.

Then, I pondered, "What are the emotional needs of users, and does our product meet them?" I started to recognize that users not only wanted an efficient tool but also desired to feel joy and satisfaction during its use.

This deep thinking process made me realize that as a product manager, beyond functionality and performance, it’s crucial to understand and meet users' emotional needs. From then on, I began integrating this emotional design thinking into every project. Our goal was not just to create powerful products but ones that resonated emotionally with users.

3. The Insight-Solution Loop

After years of experience as a product manager, I developed a simple yet effective problem-solving model, which I call the "Insight-Solution Loop." This model has become the core method I use to tackle various product challenges.

The first stage is "Insight." Here, the focus is on deeply understanding the problem. I don't settle for surface issues but use the Chain Questioning Method to probe the underlying causes. For example, when our product faced market challenges, I delved into user feedback to uncover the real issues hidden within the data.

The next stage is "Solution." Here, I apply the insights gained to devise solutions.

This isn’t just a theoretical plan but specific, actionable strategies. For instance, if I find that a product’s core issue lies in an unintuitive user interface, I collaborate with the design team to specifically improve the interface, making it more aligned with user habits.

The "Insight-Solution Loop" not only improved my problem-solving efficiency but also made the entire team's work more focused and effective. Through continuous practice, this model has helped us solve numerous seemingly tough problems, enhancing both the product’s market performance and the team’s ability to tackle challenges.

The beauty of this model lies in its versatility. Whether in product management, user experience design, team collaboration, or personal decision-making, it can play a significant role. It teaches us that deeply understanding problems and creating solutions based on those insights are key to resolving any issue.

My "Insight-Solution Loop" has not only proven crucial in product management but has extended its influence to my personal life and other professional domains as well.

For instance, in team management, I use this model to resolve conflicts and improve team efficiency. When faced with team conflicts, I first try to understand the root cause instead of rushing to find quick fixes. I ask, "What is the real issue behind this conflict? What are the fundamental needs and expectations of team members?" Through deep insight, I can propose more effective strategies to help the team reach consensus and enhance overall collaboration and efficiency.

4. Conclusion

In facing any work challenge, don’t rush to find a solution. Take time to understand the true nature of the problem. Discuss with team members and explore the deeper causes behind the issue. This will not only help you find more effective solutions but also promote better communication and collaboration within the team. No matter what the challenge, deeply understanding the problem is always the first step to solving it.

I hope today’s sharing has inspired you!