New PM in the First 90 Days: Discovering and Prioritizing the First Problems

You have just started as a product manager at a new company. How would you work out which problems to tackle first? ```hint Look for agreement between sources Think about which kinds of evidence a new PM can reach in the first weeks, and how you would tell a widespread, costly problem from the loudest request. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Am I joining an existing product with a roadmap and work already in flight, or a new area with no backlog yet? - Has leadership given my team a goal or metric to move, or is setting that goal part of the job? - Is the product sold to businesses or used by consumers? That changes how I reach users and how much usage data exists. - How soon am I expected to propose a plan: within a few weeks, or by the end of the quarter? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Learning company strategy, team goals and existing commitments before choosing problems - Evidence from several sources: product data, customers, frontline teams, engineering and hands-on use of the product - Turning observations into evidenced problem statements and checking them against each other - A transparent way to prioritize that pairs an early win with a larger problem - Building trust and alignment with engineering, design and stakeholders while learning ### Follow-up Questions - In your first week, your manager hands you a list of features to build. How do you respond? - Usage data and customer interviews point to different problems. Which do you trust, and how do you settle it? - How would your approach change if the company were in a crisis, such as a sudden revenue drop?