From hypothesis to roadmap: a simple research playbook for PMs

Great PMs test ideas early. They learn fast. They ship with confidence.

The 7-step playbook

1. Define ICP. Role, industry, size, and use case.

2. Write a hypothesis. “Persona A prefers Concept B because Pain C.”

3. Design the survey. 10–30 items. Mix rating scales and open text.

4. Run vcrowd. Get persona-level answers in minutes.

5. Score impact. Look at demand strength and willingness to pay.

6. Prioritize. Use RICE. Use value vs. effort. Update the product roadmap.

7. Repeat. Weekly learning beats quarterly debate.

What to measure

• PMF signals. Importance minus satisfaction gaps.

• Adoption risks. Setup time, switching cost, compliance.

• Revenue levers. Packaging, upsell paths, price fences.

• North-star link. Activation, retention, expansion, LTV.

Turn research into action

• Convert top drivers into requirements.

• Turn barriers into design tasks.

• Align personas with jobs-to-be-done.

• Publish a one-page decision memo. Include charts. Include quotes.

Why this works

Short cycles. Clear metrics. Evidence in plain words.That is modern product research.