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Problem Solution Alignment Hub

Overview​

Welcome to the central hub for Problem-Solution Alignment, where our Product Managers and Engineering Leads collaborate to create and refine feature sets.

This page serves as your guide through the structured approach we take to ensure our product development is both effective and efficient. Below, you'll find links to our two-pagers that delve into specific problem-solution scenarios, each crafted with meticulous care by our teams.

What is a Two-Pager?​

Two-pagers are literally two pages of writeup about a problem and a solution:

  • Page One: The Problem to Solve -- researched and prioritized by product as the next crisis to fix for our users, the problem is detailed on page one and is backed up by hard evidence.
  • Page Two: The Solution that Fixes It -- researched by engineering and selected by both engineering and product as the plan to solve the problem on page one, the solution is detailed on page two and is also backed up by hard evidence. This page should link out to architecture diagrams describing the solution.

📘 Rule of Thumb

You will know you are on the right path if anyone on the Empower team can pick up a two-pager and understand what the problem is and how we plan to fix it.

A developer should be able to see the solution and what part they might play in building it.

Link Out to evidence, documentation, and diagrams to be efficient with the two-pages allowed!

We picked Microsoft Word as the medium of a two-pager because of its ability to add in-line comments, but theoretically a two-pager could be crafted with any program you want. So long as its two pages and follows the format above.

Process​

Our process is designed to foster deep understanding and collaboration between Product Management and Engineering, ensuring that we not only build the right features but build them right. Here is the timeline that outlines our approach, detailing the steps involved and pinpointing responsibility at each stage:

  1. Generative Research

    • Responsible: Product
    • The first step is all about understanding the broader problem space. Our Product Managers engage in generative research to unearth user needs, market gaps, and potential areas for innovation. This may include lots of user interviews, competitive research, and detailed analysis.

  2. Problem Drafting

    • Responsible: Product
    • Based on the insights gathered, Product Managers define and prioritize specific problems to tackle. This phase culminates in the creation of a draft problem brief, which forms Page One of the two-pager.

  3. Problem Alignment

    • Responsible: Product
    • After drafting Page One of the two-pager, the product manager responsible must have the brief reviewed by the product team and approved to cement this as The Problem.

  4. Solution Research

    • Responsible: Engineering
    • With a clear problem defined, our Engineering team is given the problem brief and takes the lead to explore possible solutions. This involves technical feasibility studies, exploring existing solutions, and brainstorming innovative new approaches. This may include ADRs, Spikes, and other exploratory studies.

  5. Solution Options

    • Responsible: Engineering
    • Engineering presents the researched solution options to both Product and Engineering teams, recommending the best fit solution based on technical viability, cost, impact, and other attributes.

  6. Problem-Solution Alignment

    • Responsible: Engineering & Product
    • Together, Product and Engineering align on the chosen solution. This consensus is documented in the second page of the two-pager, detailing the solution chosen to address the problem. At this point, product would work with engineering to buildout the Features required to "solve the Epic" in ADO.

  7. Solution Buildout

    • Responsible: Engineering
    • This phase is where ideas come to life. Our Engineering team takes the helm to build the solution, adhering to the highest standards of quality and efficiency.

  8. Solution Validation

    • Responsible: Product
    • Once the solution is implemented, it's back to the Product Managers to validate that the solution effectively resolves the problem. This involves further research and user testing to ensure our objectives are met.

Two-Pagers​

Two-Pager Draft Template -> use this template to build new two-pagers.