Value Proposition Development
Value Proposition Development is central to generating, refining and communicating a product's unique benefit to customers. In Product Management, this includes understanding customer needs, market trends, and the competitive landscape. It requires strong analysis, communication, and innovation skills, driving consumer value and business impact.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning to identify what makes your product valuable to customers and how it stands out from competitors. You begin by gathering basic insights about customer needs and market conditions, and contribute ideas as part of a team. This helps you support clear communication of the product’s benefits, while gaining confidence in your analytical skills.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are starting to contribute to value proposition development by assisting with research on customer needs and competitive products. You support your team in shaping messages that communicate product benefits, often with guidance. Your work helps ensure that the product’s value is clearer to both colleagues and early-stage customers.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to develop clear and compelling value propositions that address real customer needs and stand out in the market. You use customer insights and competitor analysis to refine your product’s benefits and effectively communicate them to stakeholders. Your work helps the team prioritize features and drives customer adoption and satisfaction.
User Feedback Integration
User Feedback Integration is the ability to effectively collect, analyze, and apply user feedback into future product iterations. This includes constructing robust feedback channels, understanding user behavior, and translating insights into actionable improvements. Mastery of this capability enhances user satisfaction, improves product strategy apace with market needs and sustains continual product relevance.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are able to gather user feedback using basic tools and channels provided to you. You can record simple user insights and share them with your team, recognizing their value in shaping product decisions. Your efforts help ensure early consideration of user needs in product discussions.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are starting to collect user feedback from basic channels and can identify common themes with guidance. You apply straightforward changes based on this feedback, but still need support to analyze trends or connect feedback to broader product goals. Your early efforts help shape small improvements and increase user satisfaction.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to establish and manage reliable channels for collecting user feedback and translate these insights into practical product improvements. You use data from real user experiences to refine features and guide roadmaps, ensuring your product meets user needs. This approach builds user trust and helps your team deliver relevant solutions with confidence.
Product Stakeholder Communication
Product Stakeholder Communication is the ability to effectively converse with interested parties to a product's development and success. It involves understanding their expectations, addressing concerns and providing regular updates. Excellence in this capability ensures common understanding, fosters trust and ultimately enhances product value.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are able to share basic product information with stakeholders and listen to their ideas or concerns. You ask questions to clarify their needs and ensure everyone understands the key points. Through this, you help keep lines of communication open and lay the groundwork for trust in the product management process.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are able to share updates and key information with stakeholders, usually with guidance or direction. You make an effort to listen to their concerns and clarify expectations, but may still need support to navigate more complex situations. Your communication helps keep stakeholders informed and builds basic trust.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to clearly communicate with a range of stakeholders throughout the product lifecycle, adapting your approach to suit their needs and expectations. You understand how to manage concerns and keep everyone informed with timely, relevant updates. This builds trust and helps keep the product team and stakeholders aligned on key goals and decisions.
Product Vision Development
Product Vision Development is the strategic ability to conceive, plan and articulate a robust end goal for a product. This includes understanding market trends, defining unique selling propositions, and communicating the vision effectively to both stakeholders and development teams. Achieving this allows for unified goal-setting, enhancing product alignment, and ultimately, the competitive advantage.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning to recognize the importance of a clear product vision and can contribute ideas when asked. You seek to understand how market trends and customer needs shape a product’s direction, often relying on guidance from others. Your early involvement helps build your awareness of how a strong vision supports team alignment.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to contribute ideas to product vision discussions and can identify key trends or opportunities with guidance. You support the creation and communication of the product vision, helping to align your team’s work with broader goals. This builds your confidence and ensures your contributions start to shape the product’s direction.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to define and communicate a clear product vision that aligns with both market needs and your organization’s goals. You gather insights from market research and stakeholder input to shape a compelling vision and ensure everyone understands it. This helps your team stay focused and builds confidence in the product’s direction.
Product Strategy
Product Strategy is the ability to develop and outline a vision for a product, based on market analysis and organizational objectives. It involves understanding customer needs, identifying opportunities, and transforming insights into strategic decisions. This capability directly influences product success, positioning, and resource allocation, driving significant business impact.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning how to contribute to product strategy by gathering basic market information, customer feedback, and business priorities. You seek to understand how product decisions are made and how these relate to organizational goals. Your input helps inform discussions and supports clear direction for the product.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are starting to contribute to shaping the product vision and strategy by gathering and sharing market and customer insights. You support more experienced team members to identify opportunities and help turn findings into product recommendations. Your work assists the team in aligning product direction with organizational goals.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to define clear product strategies that align with market trends, customer needs, and business goals. You translate insights into actionable plans, guiding teams and stakeholders to prioritize features and investments. Your approach helps position products for growth and ensures resources are directed towards the highest-impact opportunities.
Product Roadmapping
Product Roadmapping is the strategic process of defining the future direction of a product. It involves assessing market trends, prioritizing features, and foreseeing potential challenges. This capability enables predictive design that aligns with customer needs and business objectives, directly impacting product success and customer satisfaction.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning how product roadmaps are created and used to guide a product’s direction. You support your team by gathering input, updating documents, and helping track progress against plans. Your work ensures the roadmap stays organized and helps everyone understand what’s coming next.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to contribute to product roadmaps by gathering input from customers and stakeholders. You support your team in prioritizing features and updating plans as new information arises. Your involvement helps build roadmaps that gradually become more aligned with business goals and customer needs.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to create and maintain product roadmaps that clearly balance customer needs with business goals. You collect input from stakeholders and market trends to prioritize features and adapt plans as needed. Your approach keeps the team aligned and helps the business make confident decisions about the product’s direction.
Product Requirements Definition
Product Requirements Definition is the process of identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing the needs of a product. It requires an in-depth understanding of the market, customer use-cases, and the company's strategy. This capability drives product development, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and customer satisfaction.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are able to assist in gathering and organizing basic product requirements under guidance from others. You seek to understand customer needs and how they relate to business priorities, contributing to documentation and team discussions. Your input helps ensure that product decisions reflect genuine user needs and clear business goals.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are able to contribute to defining product requirements by gathering inputs from stakeholders and documenting user needs under guidance. You start to analyze data and market trends to inform requirements, but still rely on support for prioritization and alignment with business goals. Your work helps the team capture useful details for future product development.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to gather, analyze, and document product requirements by collaborating with stakeholders and drawing on market and user insights. You bring together business goals, customer needs, and technical realities to write clear, prioritized requirements that guide the team. This helps ensure your product meets user expectations and supports the company’s objectives.
Product Performance Tracking
Product Performance Tracking is a critical competence within product management. It requires a deep understanding of product metrics, paired with the capability to assess and interpret data for strategic decision making. This ability significantly impacts a product's success, guiding its continuous improvement and driving customer satisfaction.'
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning to recognize basic product metrics and how they link to product goals. You collect and record simple data under guidance, beginning to identify patterns and trends. Your efforts help the team build a shared view of how the product is performing.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to monitor basic product metrics and use available tools to track performance. You follow guidance to gather data and can spot simple trends, seeking support to interpret results. Your efforts help the team make small adjustments that improve the product and keep it aligned with customer needs.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to independently track and analyze key product metrics, drawing meaningful insights to inform everyday product decisions. You confidently use data to identify trends, measure success against goals, and recommend changes that enhance user value. Your work helps your team respond quickly and deliver better results for customers.
Product optimization
Product optimization is a key capability within product management, embodying the necessary skills to enhance the performance and profitability of a product over its lifecycle. This involves careful analysis of data and customer feedback. Through informed decision-making and iterative improvements, product optimization significantly impacts business growth and customer satisfaction.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning how to use basic data and customer feedback to identify small ways to improve a product. You follow guidance to help make minor changes and support more experienced team members in optimization activities. Your work helps the team make better decisions and gradually enhances the product’s value for customers.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to use data and customer feedback to identify areas where your product can be improved. You contribute to implementing straightforward changes under guidance and start to see how small optimisations influence product performance. Your actions support the team’s efforts to drive better outcomes for customers and the business.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to independently analyze product data and customer feedback to identify opportunities for improvement. You make informed recommendations and work with your team to deliver meaningful product enhancements that drive both user satisfaction and commercial outcomes. Your actions help ensure the product remains competitive and aligned with customer needs.
Product Lifecycle Management
Product Lifecycle Management is the holistic coordination of a product's journey, from conception to retirement. It requires a deep understanding of forecasting, product development processes, and key stakeholder management. capabilityed practitioners can optimize resource allocation, streamline workflow efficiencies, and drive organizational success.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning how products move through their lifecycle, from idea to phase-out. You understand the basic steps involved, support your team with tasks, and ask questions to build your knowledge. Your growing awareness helps your team manage products more smoothly and prepares you for more responsibility.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to support the coordination of a product’s lifecycle, following established processes and seeking guidance when needed. You contribute to key tasks, such as monitoring timelines and sharing updates with stakeholders. Your input helps ensure that product activities stay on track and align with team goals.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to manage the full product lifecycle with confidence, from early concept through to end-of-life. You apply established processes to forecast demand, coordinate cross-functional teams, and adjust plans as needed. Your approach ensures that products are delivered efficiently and meet both business goals and customer needs.
Backlog Management
Backlog Management is the capacity to effectively prioritize and organize product requirements. This capability entails assessing value, estimating efforts, and aligning goals strategically. By doing so, a product manager can optimize workflow, balance stakeholder demands and accelerate product development.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are able to maintain a basic product backlog by listing requirements and updates as directed. You rely on clear instructions to sort and track tasks, sharing progress with your team when asked. This helps ensure essential work is visible and allows others to plan and prioritize more effectively.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to organize and prioritize product requirements with support, applying basic methods to assess value and estimate effort. You rely on guidance to balance stakeholder needs and align with team goals. Your contribution helps to maintain a clear and current backlog, supporting smoother product delivery.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to independently manage and prioritize a complex product backlog, balancing stakeholder needs with business goals. You regularly assess value, estimate effort, and adjust priorities based on new information or feedback. Your approach ensures the team works efficiently and delivers the right outcomes at the right time.
Product Launch Execution
Product Launch Execution is the actionable capability of bringing a product to market with success. It encompasses understanding target demographics, strategizing marketing initiatives, and overseeing the delivery of the product. Impactful execution directly contributes to robust sales performance and positive brand positioning.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning how product launches work by supporting tasks such as coordinating basic logistics and gathering information on customer needs. You follow plans set by others and help with simple activities like updating documents or tracking progress. Your support helps the team deliver a smooth launch and gives you a solid grounding in product management fundamentals.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are starting to support parts of the product launch process under guidance. You contribute to tasks such as preparing launch materials, gathering feedback, or updating project timelines, while learning how each step connects to the overall go-to-market plan. Your efforts help build the basic foundations for a smooth and organized product launch.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to plan and coordinate effective product launches, managing timelines and stakeholder expectations with confidence. You apply a strong understanding of target customers and marketing strategies to ensure each launch meets business goals. Your efforts result in successful market entry, positive customer uptake, and clear alignment with brand objectives.
Prioritization Techniques
Prioritization Techniques' is the ability to effectively rank and sequence tasks or projects in product management. This involves understanding project values and deadlines, in conjunction with resource availability. Utilising these techniques ensures efficient use of time and resources, leading to improved product outcomes.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are able to recognize when tasks or projects need to be prioritized and follow guidance from others to set basic order. You use simple methods, such as checklists or set priorities given by your team, to organize your work. This helps you support your team’s goals and ensure key product management tasks are completed on time.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are able to apply basic prioritization techniques to your product tasks and projects, using available information on value, deadlines, and resources. You can contribute to team discussions on what to tackle next, seeking guidance when needed. This helps ensure your work supports product goals and progresses efficiently.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to confidently apply a range of prioritization techniques to balance competing needs and deliver the most value for your product. You use evidence and input from stakeholders to inform your decisions, ensuring resources are aligned with business goals and deadlines. This results in efficient workflows and improved outcomes for your product team.
Market Research
Market Research is a vital product management capability. It involves constantly gathering and evaluating data about customer needs and market trends. This capability enables professionals to make informed product decisions, leading to improved customer satisfaction and competitive advantage.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are able to gather basic information about customers and competitors, using readily available sources like online research or simple surveys. You focus on understanding broad market needs and trends to support your team’s product decisions. Your work helps others build a clearer picture of the market.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to gather basic customer and market information, often under guidance, to understand trends and needs. You contribute to simple research tasks and share your findings with your team to support product decisions. This helps ensure products start to align better with customer expectations and market direction.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to design and carry out market research independently, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to gather reliable insights. You apply your findings directly to product decisions, ensuring your team is aligned with market needs. Your work improves product fit and supports clear, customer-focused choices.
Go-to-Market Planning
Go-to-Market Planning is the proficiency in formulating effective strategies to launch a product. This capability encompasses understanding market dynamics, potential customers, and aligning product features to answer customer needs. Its impact lies in optimizing product positioning, driving sales growth and enhancing brand reputation.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning to support basic go-to-market activities under close guidance. You contribute to tasks such as gathering market information or helping prepare product launch materials, gaining an understanding of how these efforts connect to the overall product strategy. Your work helps the team lay the groundwork for a successful product launch.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are starting to contribute to go-to-market planning by helping gather market insights and supporting execution of launch activities. You take guidance to align product features with customer needs and assist in positioning the product. This helps build your confidence and ensures launches begin to address key market requirements.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to develop and lead go-to-market plans, working across teams to ensure product launches align with business goals and market needs. You routinely analyze customer insights and competitor activity to shape product positioning. Your approach results in successful launches that drive both sales and brand reputation.
Experiment Design
Experiment Design is a crucial capability in product management, involving the planning and conducting of tests on product features. This capability requires a comprehensive understanding of product lifecycles, user experience, and data analysis. It's integral in informed decision-making, leading to enhancements in product functionality, market positioning, and overall user satisfaction.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning how to set up simple tests on product features under guidance, often using existing frameworks and tools. You seek feedback on your approach and pay attention to how experiments impact user experience and product outcomes. Your involvement helps your team make small improvements based on clear, basic data.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to assist with basic experiment design for product features, following set processes and guidance from others. You help collect and organize user data, and start to notice how tests can inform small product changes. Your work supports decision-making and builds your confidence in evidence-based improvements.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to independently design and run experiments that guide product decisions and improve user experience. You use reliable data to test ideas and adapt features, ensuring your approach aligns with business goals and customer needs. Your work leads to clear, actionable insights that support ongoing product growth.
Customer Insight Gathering
Customer Insight Gathering is the ability to collect, interpret, and apply customer data towards iterative product improvement in line with demands and trends. The scope includes data collection, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and translating insights into actionable product strategies. By employing this capability, a product manager can ensure product relevance, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are able to gather basic customer feedback and simple data to inform your understanding of user needs. You ask questions, observe trends, and share key findings with your team. This helps ensure your product decisions start to reflect real customer experiences and priorities.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are starting to gather and organize basic customer data to understand how people use your product and what they need. You seek feedback through surveys or conversations and begin to recognize patterns, sharing your findings with your team. Your efforts help guide small product improvements and increase your confidence in asking the right questions.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are capabilityed at gathering and interpreting customer insights using a range of qualitative and quantitative methods. You routinely use this information to guide product decisions and refine strategies, ensuring your products meet real customer needs. Your actions help maintain product relevance and improve customer satisfaction over time.
Cross-functional Alignment
Cross-functional Alignment is the capacity to integrate and direct diverse teams towards a unified goal within Product Management. It necessitates the understanding of each functional unit's contribution, fostering collaboration across departments and leveraging their unique perspectives to enhance the product life-cycle. This ensures strategic consistency, optimized resource utilisation, and ultimately, a high-quality product meeting customer requirements.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are building awareness of how different teams contribute to the product process and are open to learning from others’ perspectives. You seek guidance to communicate clearly with colleagues from other functions and participate willingly in collaborative activities. This helps you understand the basics of working together towards shared product goals.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to recognize the roles and contributions of different teams in the product process and make efforts to include their input in your work. You participate in cross-functional discussions and seek guidance to resolve misunderstandings. This helps you build early relationships that support better product outcomes.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to coordinate and motivate cross-functional teams, ensuring that everyone understands their roles and contributions throughout the product life-cycle. You facilitate open communication and resolve conflicts, helping teams to align priorities and stay focused on shared objectives. This results in smoother project delivery, more effective collaboration, and better outcomes for both customers and the business.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis is the ability to scrutinise and predict the strategies of market rivals. It involves gaining deep knowledge of competitors' products, positioning, and performance, and analyzing this in relation to one's own product portfolio. The impact enhances strategic decision-making, fostering innovation and securing a competitive advantage.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are able to identify key competitors and gather basic information about their products and market approaches. You develop an understanding of how your product compares but rely on guidance to interpret findings. This helps you contribute to team discussions and builds your confidence in making informed product decisions.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are starting to gather and compare basic information on competitors, recognizing key similarities and differences to your own products. You seek guidance to understand competitor strategies and how market shifts may affect your product. Your insights support the team to make informed decisions and strengthen product direction.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to independently analyze your competitors’ products, strategies, and market positions, applying your findings to inform product decisions. You use relevant data and insights to guide your team and shape your product roadmap. Your work supports stronger strategic choices and helps position your product more effectively in the market.
Commercial Model Design
Commercial Model Design is the ability to develop profitable financial strategies for a product. It requires the knowledge of market factors, competitors and product cost structures, in conjunction with creativity and analytical skills. Ultimately this capability impacts the product's revenue potential and profit margin, significant drivers for business success.
Level 1: Emerging
At a foundational level you are learning how commercial models work by supporting others in gathering basic market and cost information for your product. You focus on understanding simple financial concepts and how pricing or revenue decisions affect product outcomes. Your work helps your team make more informed commercial choices, even as you build your own capability.
Level 2: Proficient
At a developing level you are beginning to support the creation of commercial models for products, using basic analysis of costs, competitors, and market trends. You contribute ideas and gather information to help shape financial strategies, with guidance from others. Your input helps the team start to identify ways the product can generate revenue and improve margins.
Level 3: Advanced
At a proficient level you are able to design commercial models for products that balance cost, revenue, and market needs, using both data and creative insight. You assess competitor offerings and market conditions to set pricing and maximize profit margin. Your work enables your team to launch products that achieve financial goals and support the business strategy.
