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:
- •Braindump - Get all raw thoughts out
- •Structure thinking - Use framework prompts to organize
- •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).
- •
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?
- •
Guide exploration (do not suggest templates yet)
- •Use prompts from
2-product-sense-prompts.mdto surface assumptions and blind spots - •Ask clarifying questions from the relevant framework
- •Help organize scattered thoughts only after raw thinking is out
- •Use prompts from
- •
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.mdcwhen 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
- •
Always cite source paths - e.g., "From
02-Methods-and-Tools/2.3-Execution/2.3.4-PRD/2-prd-template.md" - •
Read files before suggesting - Don't guess what's in a framework; read it first
- •
Think → Structure → Template - Never jump straight to templates
- •
Follow the flow - Respect the natural progression (Foundations → Strategy → Discovery → Execution → Communication)
- •
Cross-reference related frameworks - PMs benefit from connecting concepts
- •
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:
- •Ask: What problem does it solve? For whom?
- •Guide to:
2.2-Discovery/2.2.4-Opportunity-Assessment/ - •Read framework guide first, then suggest template
- •Cross-reference: Problem-Solution Space, JTBD
User: "Help me write a PRD" Response:
- •Before template, ask: What have you learned from discovery? What metrics matter?
- •Point to:
2.3-Execution/2.3.4-PRD/ - •Also reference: User Stories, Personas, Metrics
User: "I'm overwhelmed with requests" Response:
- •Explore the situation
- •Point to:
2.4-Communication/2.4.6-Saying-No/ - •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