Cheat sheet + 20 flashcards covering discovery, roadmaps, user stories, AARRR metrics, Agile & Scrum, and go-to-market strategy.
User interviews: open-ended questions, listen for Jobs-to-be-Done — the underlying goal, not the feature request.
Surveys: quantitative, broad — validate hypotheses at scale.
Usability testing: observe users attempting tasks — find friction.
Affinity mapping: group insights into themes to spot patterns.
RICE: Score = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort. Rank features; highest score ships first.
MoSCoW: Must have · Should have · Could have · Won't have.
Both remove opinion from prioritisation — use data, not HiPPO (Highest Paid Person's Opinion).
Three-column roadmap that communicates intent without false precision on dates.
Now: in progress this quarter
Next: planned next quarter
Later: on the horizon, unscheduled
Tie roadmap columns to OKRs so every item links to a measurable outcome.
Format: "As a [user], I want [goal] so that [benefit]."
INVEST: Independent · Negotiable · Valuable · Estimable · Small · Testable
Acceptance criteria: Given / When / Then (Gherkin) — defines done.
Acquisition: users find you
Activation: first "aha" moment
Retention: users come back
Revenue: users pay
Referral: users invite others
Fix the leakiest bucket first.
DAU/MAU: stickiness ratio — DAU/MAU > 20% = engaged product
Retention D1/D7/D30: % users active 1, 7, 30 days after signup
NPS: Net Promoter Score — "how likely to recommend?" (promoters − detractors)
Churn rate: % users lost per period
Roles: Product Owner (what to build) · Scrum Master (remove blockers) · Dev Team (how to build)
Ceremonies: Sprint Planning · Daily Standup · Sprint Review · Retrospective
Sprint = time-boxed iteration (1–4 weeks). Velocity = story points per sprint.
Objective: qualitative, inspiring goal ("Become the go-to tool for remote teams")
Key Results: 2–5 measurable outcomes that prove the objective is met
OKRs are set quarterly. 70% attainment = healthy stretch. 100% every time = not ambitious enough.
ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): the specific customer segment most likely to buy, retain, and refer.
Positioning statement: "For [ICP] who [need], [Product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternative], we [differentiator]."
Innovators (2.5%) → Early Adopters (13.5%) → Early Majority (34%) → Late Majority (34%) → Laggards (16%)
The Chasm: gap between Early Adopters and Early Majority. Most startups die here. Cross it by focusing deeply on one vertical before expanding.
Lean Startup loop: Build the smallest testable version (MVP) → Measure real user behaviour → Learn whether hypothesis was correct → pivot or persevere.
A validated learning beats a perfect product that ships late.
Scrum: fixed-length sprints, defined roles, good for product teams building new features with clear planning cycles.
Kanban: continuous flow, limit WIP (Work In Progress), good for support/ops teams with unpredictable incoming work and no fixed iteration.
Hybrid (Scrumban) is common.
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