Identifying and Understanding Assumptions
Last updated
Last updated
For Product Managers, identifying and understanding assumptions is a crucial exercise in self-awareness and analytical thinking. Assumptions can be deeply ingrained and invisible, often going unchallenged until they are explicitly examined. Understanding why these assumptions are made, and their impact on product decisions, is fundamental to avoiding pitfalls in product strategy.
Consider a Product Manager at YouTube tasked with improving user engagement on the platform. They start by identifying assumptions about user behavior. The PM might assume that users prefer bite-sized content due to the proliferation of short video platforms. Another assumption could be that the majority of users access the platform for entertainment rather than education or professional development.
To challenge these assumptions, the PM examines user engagement data across different content lengths and categories. They find that, contrary to their assumptions, there is a significant and growing engagement with educational and professional development content. This understanding prompts a deeper look into why these assumptions were made: perhaps due to industry trends emphasizing short content, or personal biases influenced by the PM's own media consumption habits.
This realization leads to a recognition of the complexity of user preferences and the risks of oversimplification. The PM now understands the necessity of diversifying content strategy to cater to varied user intents and the importance of questioning industry narratives that may not align with actual user behavior.
The main challenge in identifying and understanding assumptions is the natural human tendency to operate on autopilot, especially when under the pressure of tight deadlines and high-stakes product launches. Assumptions can also be reinforced by echo chambers within teams or organizations, where shared beliefs go unquestioned.
Reflect on a recent decision you made about your product. What assumptions did you make about your users, market, or technology? Write them down and consider how each assumption could be tested or challenged. Engage with users or team members who might provide different perspectives that could reveal biases or gaps in your understanding.
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Critical Thinking in Product Management [ | ]
User Behavior Analysis [ | ]
Ethnographic Research in Tech. [ | ]