What is the problem statement in PM?

A concise document that frames the problem, articulates user impact, links to business context, and defines clear success criteria to guide the solution.

How do I know if my success metrics are good?

Metrics should have baselines and targets, be specific, time-bound, and tied to business outcomes relevant to the problem.

What if I can't clearly identify a user segment?

Iterate with stakeholders and user research; start with a well-defined segment even if narrow and expand as you learn more.

Define Problem Statement

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npx machina-cli add skill product-on-purpose/pm-skills/define-problem-statement --openclaw

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SKILL.md

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name: define-problem-statement description: Creates a clear problem framing document with user impact, business context, and success criteria. Use when starting a new initiative, realigning a drifted project, or communicating up to leadership. phase: define version: "2.0.0" updated: 2026-01-26 license: Apache-2.0 metadata: category: problem-framing frameworks: [triple-diamond, lean-startup, design-thinking] author: product-on-purpose

Problem Statement

A problem statement is a concise document that frames the problem you're solving, articulates the impact on users and the business, and defines clear success criteria. It serves as the foundation for all subsequent product work by ensuring alignment on what problem to solve before jumping to how to solve it.

When to Use

Starting a new initiative or project to establish shared understanding
Realigning a drifted project back to its original intent
Communicating up to leadership or stakeholders about priorities
Evaluating whether a proposed solution actually addresses the core problem
Onboarding new team members to provide context

Instructions

When asked to create a problem statement, follow these steps:

Identify the User Segment Ask who is experiencing this problem. Get specific about the user persona, role, or segment. Avoid vague descriptions like "users" — instead target "mobile shoppers completing checkout" or "enterprise admins managing 50+ users."
Understand the Pain Points Explore what friction, frustration, or unmet need the user experiences. Ask probing questions to understand the severity and frequency of the problem. Look for evidence from user research, support tickets, or behavioral data.
Establish Business Context Connect the user problem to business impact. How does this problem affect revenue, retention, growth, or strategic goals? Why should the organization invest in solving this now versus later?
Define Success Metrics Identify how you will measure success. What metrics will move if this problem is solved? Establish current baselines and target improvements. Be specific and time-bound.
Surface Constraints and Considerations Note any technical limitations, resource constraints, regulatory requirements, or dependencies that will shape the solution space.
Capture Open Questions Document what you don't know yet. What assumptions need validation? What additional research is needed?

Output Format

Use the template in references/TEMPLATE.md to structure the output.

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

Problem is specific to a defined user segment (not "all users")
Impact is quantified with data or reasonable estimates
Success metrics have baselines and targets
Problem describes the "what" without prescribing the "how"
Business context explains why this matters now
Open questions are captured for follow-up

Examples

See references/EXAMPLE.md for a completed example.

Source

git clone https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills/blob/main/skills/define-problem-statement/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

Provides a concise problem framing document that highlights user impact, business context, and clear success criteria. It’s used at project kickoff, when realigning drifted work, or when briefing leadership to ensure everyone targets the same problem.

How This Skill Works

Guides you through identifying the specific user segment, surfacing pain points, and linking them to business impact. It then defines measurable success metrics, notes constraints and dependencies, and captures open questions, resulting in a stakeholder-ready problem statement.

When to Use It

Starting a new initiative or project to establish shared understanding
Realigning a drifted project back to its original intent
Communicating up to leadership or stakeholders about priorities
Evaluating whether a proposed solution actually addresses the core problem
Onboarding new team members to provide context

Quick Start

Step 1: Identify the user segment with precision (who experiences the problem).
Step 2: Map pain points and connect them to business impact, documenting evidence where possible.
Step 3: Define specific, time-bound success metrics with baselines and capture open questions; draft the problem statement.

Best Practices

Target a specific user segment (avoid generic 'users') to anchor the problem
Tie the user problem to business impact with data or credible estimates
Define baselines and target improvements for each success metric
Document constraints, dependencies, and non-negotiables up front
Capture open questions and required research for follow-up

Example Use Cases

Starting a new checkout optimization initiative focused on mobile shoppers to reduce cart abandonment and boost conversion.
Realigning a drifted data migration project to the original scope and success metrics.
Communicating priorities to leadership for a cost-to-serve reduction initiative.
Evaluating a proposed AI-driven search enhancement to ensure it addresses a core user pain point.
Onboarding a new PM by presenting a problem framing document to provide context and alignment.

Frequently Asked Questions

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