Prioritizing and Solving Product Issues: A Guide for Aspiring PMs

As an aspiring product manager, understanding how to handle complex issues within a product’s lifecycle is key to demonstrating your ability to steer a product to success. This guide will break down how to prioritize and solve the biggest issue faced by a PM overseeing OpenTable’s post-booking experience, as guided by the frameworks in ‘Decode and Conquer: Answers to Product Management Interviews’.

Detailed Guide on Framework Application

To approach OpenTable’s post-booking challenges, the RICE scoring model (Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort) provides a structured framework. We’ll explore its application in the context of prioritization and problem-solving:

• Reach: How many users will this issue/improvement affect within a given period?
• Impact: What will be the magnitude of its effect on the user experience or the business?
• Confidence: How sure are we of the Reach and Impact estimates?
• Effort: How many resources (time, people, money) will be required to implement the improvement?

Consider a scenario where data analysis reveals that an unclear cancellation policy post-booking is causing customer dissatisfaction and cancellation calls. We’d evaluate its Reach (affects most users), Impact (improving clarity might reduce support calls and increase user trust), Confidence (based on data, customer feedback), and Effort (relatively low, could involve UI/UX tweaks and clearer communication).

Fact checks are essential. Research industry benchmarks for customer service issue prevalence, typical resources allocated for product UI updates, etc., and make realistic approximations. It’s okay to make educated guesses if you explain your thought process.

Communication tips:

• Use clear and focused language to outline the prioritization process.
• When making assumptions, state them upfront and justify your reasoning.
• Remember to relate the issue back to business impact, as PMs must always consider the broader company objectives.

Conclusion

The RICE scoring model equips PMs with a structured path to prioritize product-related issues effectively. In addressing OpenTable’s post-booking experience, showcasing your methodical approach conveys your capability to make data-informed decisions that align with business goals. Practice employing RICE in various scenarios to develop a keen sense for prioritization in your product management interviews.