Main takeaways: -What are mental models? -Understand the different types of mental models that are relevant for product roles -How to incorporate mental models to help with problem solving and make better/ faster decisions

1. Mental Models to Guide Product Decisions
by Google Product Manager
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5. Mental Models to Guide Product
Decisions
Speaker: Anurag Viswanath, Google PM

6. 1
Agenda
1. What are Mental Models?
2. Type of Mental Models & their
relevance in Product roles
3. How can you use them?
4. Resources

7. What are Mental Models?

8. Would you step in front of a Speeding bus?

9. “A mental model is an explanation of someone's thought process about how
something works in the real world. It is a representation of the surrounding world,
the relationships between its various parts and a person's intuitive perception about
his or her own acts and their consequences. Mental models can help shape
behaviour and set an approach to solving problems (similar to a personal
algorithm) and doing tasks.” - Wikipedia
(Alternative definition)
“Mental Models are thinking tools (or) frameworks that are typically used in
conjunction with each other, to help arrive at the most rational decision based on
the information available in a given context. They guide our worldview and
behaviors, help us simplify the complexity in life, and are often shaped by our
experiences and learnings”

10. “Mental Models are thinking tools (or) frameworks that are typically used in
conjunction with each other, to help arrive at the most rational decision based on the
information available in a given context. They guide our worldview and behaviors,
help us simplify the complexity in life, and are often shaped by our experiences and
learnings”

11. Type of Mental Models & their relevance
in Product roles

12. ➔ In a typical workday, PMs are responsible for making a wide
variety of decisions, frequently (and sometimes quickly), but don’t
necessarily have all the data/ information to aid with decision
making/ problem solving.
➔ Mental models help
◆ Reframe a problem and ask the right questions to look at it
from a different perspective
◆ Make good decisions consistently
◆ Provide language to communicate the Why behind
complex decisions to your team/ XFN stakeholders.
◆ Most importantly, help navigate the ambiguity in our jobs
and reduce decision fatigue.
➔ Selection of the right tool and application depends on factors
like:
◆ Stage of the Product Development Lifecycle
◆ Decision velocity (Fast vs Slow Decisions)
◆ Nature of decision (Strategic vs Tactical)
Why are they relevant?

13. Mind Map: PM Toolbox

14. Mind Map: PM Toolbox

15. ➔ First Principles
◆ Common techniques: 5 Whys, Socratic Questioning (e.g. Clarifications, Probing assumptions and evidence,
Consequences, Questioning the question etc)
➔ RICE Prioritization [Where Score = (Reach x Impact x Confidence)/ Effort]
➔ Reversible (Visualize a 2 way door!)/ Irreversible Decisions (a.k.a Type 1 and Type 2 decisions)
➔ Technical Debt
➔ Eisenhower Matrix (2x2)
◆ Urgent and Important: Tasks you should do immediately.
◆ Important, not Urgent: Tasks you should schedule to do later.
◆ Urgent, not Important: Tasks you should delegate to someone else.
◆ Not Urgent, not Important: Tasks that you should drop
A few popular Thinking Tools/ Frameworks...

16. How you can use them
Let’s take a look at a few in more detail...

17. Inversion*
Steps involved:
1. Product Goal definition: What are you
trying to achieve?
2. Invert it:
a. What reasons would guarantee a
failure at achieving this goal?
b. What would be the worst
decision/ solution in this situation?
c. What features would destroy this
product?
3. Avoid it :)
*This technique is important, when you're
starting a new project (or) working on a
high-stakes problem where you might want to
focus on specifically avoiding bad solutions.
A good trigger question to know if
inversion is the right mental model
to use: "Am I only thinking of ideal
solutions or scenarios?"

18. 2nd Order
Thinking
A good trigger question: "What
would be the long-term
consequences/ effects of this
decision?"
Image Credits: fs.blog
→ First-order thinking is fast and easy.
→ Second (or nth) -order thinking is more
deliberate
Steps involved:
1. Consider a decision you have to make.
2. Start by listing down the immediate
effects (1st order) of making this
decision.
3. Then for each of the effects, ask
yourself: “...And then what”?

19. EigenQuestions
Often the best path through a decision
is to pick the right question to start
with.
Image Credits: coda.io
“ A group of scientists have invented a
teleportation device. They have come to you
and asked for your assistance in bringing it to
market. What do you do?”

20. OODA Loop
1. Observe (Data acquisition: Product,
Market, Users/ Customers)
2. Orient (Strategic Planning, Market
positioning)
3. Decide (Seek XFn Stakeholder feedback,
Make a Decision)
4. Act (Execute and build Product/ feature,
fast*)
* The key essence of the loop is to make a
decision before your competitor does.

21. References
1. https:/
/fs.blog/
2. https:/
/thesystemsthinker.com/
3. Superthinking: The Big Book of Mental Models
4. https:/
/untools.co/

22. Thank you!
Get in touch!
@anurag-viswanath

23. www.productschool.com
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