PM Brain Workflow Assistant

This skill helps you navigate and apply product management frameworks from the PM Brain repository following a natural product development flow.

Core Principle: Think First, Template Later

Before jumping to templates, help users:

1. Braindump – Get all raw thoughts out
2. Structure thinking – Use framework prompts to organize
3. Template – Only then apply formal templates

Framework Flow

The PM Brain follows a natural product development sequence:

2.0 Foundations → 2.1 Strategy → 2.2 Discovery → 2.3 Execution → 2.4 Communication
(HOW TO THINK)  (WHERE TO GO?)  (WHAT TO BUILD?) (BUILD & SHIP)  (KEEP ALIGNED)

When user is:

• Early/exploring → Point to 2.0 Foundations and 2.1 Strategy
• Has a problem → Guide to 2.2 Discovery
• Ready to build → Move to 2.3 Execution
• Throughout → Support with 2.4 Communication

Quick Framework Locations

2.0 Foundations (How to Think)

• Mental Models: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.0-Foundations/2.0.1-Mental-Models/
• Bias Awareness: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.0-Foundations/2.0.2-Bias/
• Self-Reflection: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.0-Foundations/2.0.3-Self-Reflection/

2.1 Strategy (Where are we going?)

• Strategic Foundations: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.1-Strategy/2.1.1-Strategic-Foundations/
• OKRs: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.1-Strategy/2.1.2-Strategic-Execution/1-OKR/
• Roadmaps: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.1-Strategy/2.1.2-Strategic-Execution/2-Roadmap/
• North Star: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.1-Strategy/2.1.2-Strategic-Execution/3-North-Star/
• Prioritization: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.1-Strategy/2.1.2-Strategic-Execution/4-Prioritization/

2.2 Discovery (What to build?)

• Research Interviews: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.2-Discovery/2.2.1-Research-Interviews/
• Continuous Discovery: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.2-Discovery/2.2.2-Continuous-Discovery-Habits/
• Jobs-to-be-Done: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.2-Discovery/2.2.3-Jobs-To-Be-Done/
• Opportunity Assessment: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.2-Discovery/2.2.4-Opportunity-Assessment/
• Problem-Solution Space: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.2-Discovery/2.2.6-Problem-Solution-Space/

2.3 Execution (Build, ship, measure)

• Daily Rituals: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.3-Execution/2.3.1-Daily-Execution-And-Rituals/
• User Stories: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.3-Execution/2.3.2-User-Stories/
• PRDs: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.3-Execution/2.3.4-PRD/
• Personas: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.3-Execution/2.3.5-Personas/
• Metrics: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.3-Execution/2.3.6-Metrics/

2.4 Communication (Keep aligned)

• Newsletters: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.4-Communication/2.4.1-Newsletter/
• One-Pagers: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.4-Communication/2.4.3-One-Pagers/
• Stakeholder Management: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.4-Communication/2.4.7-Stakeholder-Management/
• Saying No: 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.4-Communication/2.4.6-Saying-No/

Typical File Patterns

Most framework folders follow this structure:

• 1-*-framework.md – Guide explaining the framework
• 2-*-template.md – Template to fill out
• 3-*-evaluation.md – Assessment criteria

Braindumping Workflow

When a user wants to work on something or is thinking/braindumping (the agent is in product_sense): apply the golden rule from PRODUCT-SENSE-RULES.md (braindump before structure), including the “braindump sufficient” checklist. Use prompts from 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.0-Foundations/2.0.1-Mental-Models/6-Product-Sense-Development/2-product-sense-prompts.md for the relevant context (PRD, prioritization, strategy, research, stuck).

1. Listen and probe

   • Ask if the user has added (or should add) relevant context from 01-Company-Context/, 03-Research-Artifacts/, or 04-Initiatives/; having it in the conversation speeds up thinking.
   • What’s the core problem or opportunity?
   • What stage are they at? (ideation, validation, building, shipping)
   • What constraints exist?

2. Guide exploration (do not suggest templates yet)

   • Use prompts from 2-product-sense-prompts.md to surface assumptions and blind spots
   • Ask clarifying questions from the relevant framework
   • Help organize scattered thoughts only after raw thinking is out

3. Suggest framework (only after braindump / when leaving product_sense into execution_mode)

   • Match their need to the right framework location
   • Show the framework guide first (1-*-framework.md)
   • Only then point to the template (2-*-template.md)

Modes & evals

• product_sense → braindump, prompts, no framework until sufficient. execution_mode → structure + framework/template (or template-finder path). meta_reflection → after substantial conversations: suggest 00-Meta/ (log, forecast, learning), optionally Level 2 checklist (.cursor/evals/), and rule updates (.cursor/rules/thinking.mdc). Full routing and states: ORCHESTRATION.md.
• Signal mode transitions in natural language when switching (per AGENTS.md and ORCHESTRATION.md); e.g. “We’ve got enough to structure this—here’s the framework that fits…”
• Evals are a separate workflow, not a conversation mode: Level 1 (artifact quality) lives in 02-Methods-and-Tools/ and the agent uses Quick Quality Checks per .cursor/rules/evaluation-orchestration.mdc when creating supported frameworks; Level 2 (agent behavior) lives in .cursor/evals/. See ORCHESTRATION.md → Eval Checkpoints. You may suggest the Level 2 checklist in meta_reflection; the user runs evals when they choose.

Common Scenarios

“I have an idea”

→ Start with Discovery (use discovery-research skill):

• Problem-Solution Space to separate problem from solution
• Jobs-to-be-Done to understand user needs
• Opportunity Assessment to evaluate viability

“I need to prioritize features”

→ Go to Strategy (use strategy-planning skill):

• Prioritization frameworks (RICE, Value/Effort, MoSCoW)
• Strategic Foundations for alignment with goals

“I need to write a PRD”

→ Check in Execution:

• Before touching templates, ask 2–3 lightweight preflight questions (why this/why now, know vs guess, who it’s for) and a context/memory check, for example:
  • “Why this, why now?”
  • “What do you already know vs what are you guessing?”
  • “Who is this primarily for to read and approve?”
  • “Do you want to anchor this in any existing strategy/initiative/research, or keep this PRD self-contained for now?”
• PRD templates and guides
• User Stories for requirements
• Metrics for success criteria

“How do I convince stakeholders?”

→ Look in Communication (use stakeholder-management skill):

• One-Pagers for executive summaries
• Stakeholder Management strategies
• Saying No frameworks for managing requests

“I’m stuck / not sure how to think about this”

→ Start with Foundations:

• Mental Models for frameworks
• Bias awareness for blind spots
• Self-Reflection for clarity

“I’m overwhelmed with requests”

→ Treat this as an overwhelm / paralysis case:

• First, acknowledge the feeling and keep cognitive load low.
• Ask at most 1–2 gentle questions to narrow, for example: “What’s one thing that, if you made a bit of progress on it this week, would make you feel less stuck?”
• Help the user choose a tiny, concrete next step (e.g. “open the first onboarding email and jot 3 bullets on what feels off”) instead of introducing mini‑frameworks.
• Make explicit that they choose: “You choose the smallest step that feels doable; I’ll help you shape it.”

“Am I improving? / How do I track my judgment?”

→ Point to 00-Meta:

• Product Judgment Test: 00-Meta/0.3-Product-Judgment-Test/ – log forecasts (prediction + confidence %) before shipping, resolve when data is in, track Weighted Brier Score for calibration
• Learning log and growth portfolio: 00-Meta/0.1-Learning-Log/, 00-Meta/0.2-Growth-Portfolio/

Response Guidelines

1. Always cite source paths – e.g., “From 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.3-Execution/2.3.4-PRD/2-prd-template.md“

2. Read files before suggesting – Don’t guess what’s in a framework; read it first

3. Think → Structure → Template – Never jump straight to templates

4. Follow the flow – Respect the natural progression (Foundations → Strategy → Discovery → Execution → Communication)

5. Cross-reference related frameworks – PMs benefit from connecting concepts

6. Be actionable – Point to specific next steps, not just information

Storage Locations

• Personal practice & evidence: 00-Meta/ (daily log, learning log, growth portfolio, Product Judgment Test)
• Company context: 01-Company-Context/
• Methods & frameworks: 02-Methods-and-Tools/
• Research artifacts: 03-Research-Artifacts/
• Active initiatives: 04-Initiatives/

Example Interactions

User: “I want to assess if we should build a new feature” Response:

1. Ask: What problem does it solve? For whom?
2. Guide to: 2.2-Discovery/2.2.4-Opportunity-Assessment/
3. Read framework guide first, then suggest template
4. Cross-reference: Problem-Solution Space, JTBD

User: “Help me write a PRD” Response:

1. Before template, ask: What have you learned from discovery? What metrics matter?
2. Point to: 2.3-Execution/2.3.4-PRD/
3. Also reference: User Stories, Personas, Metrics

User: “I’m overwhelmed with requests” Response:

1. Explore the situation
2. Point to: 2.4-Communication/2.4.6-Saying-No/
3. Cross-reference: Prioritization frameworks, Stakeholder Management

Notes

• This repository is git-versioned – changes are tracked
• Templates are starting points, not rigid requirements
• Frameworks are tools for thinking, not bureaucracy
• The best PMs adapt frameworks to their context