Who This Helps
This is for product managers who have a list of possible experiments and no clear way to pick one. You want to stop guessing and start moving. The Strategy Basics: Competitive Map course gives you a practical tool to compare options fast.
Mini Case
Aisha, a PM at a growing SaaS company, had 12 experiment ideas and only enough time to run one. She used the Differentiation Grid from the course to map each idea against what competitors already do well. One idea stood out: a new onboarding flow that could reduce time-to-value by 30%. She ran that experiment first. The result? A 12% lift in activation within two weeks.
Do This Now (5 Steps)
- List your top three product questions. Write them down. For example, "Why do users drop off after signup?" or "Which feature should we build next?"
- Grab a competitive map. Use the one from the Strategy Basics: Competitive Map course. If you don't have it yet, sketch a simple grid with your product on one side and two main competitors on the other.
- Score each question against the map. For each question, ask: Does this help us win where competitors are weak? Does it protect a strength? Give each a score from 1 (low impact) to 5 (high impact).
- Pick the question with the highest score. That's your next experiment. Write a one-sentence hypothesis. Example: "If we simplify the onboarding wizard, then more users will reach the dashboard within 7 days."
- Set a one-week deadline. Run the experiment. Measure one clear metric. No scope creep. Friday is your check-in day.
Avoid These Traps
- Don't pick an experiment just because it's easy. Easy often means low impact. Use the map to stay honest.
- Don't compare against every competitor. Focus on the two or three that matter most. The course calls this your Competitor Set.
- Don't skip the evidence step. A hunch is not a decision. The Differentiation Grid asks for real data points.
- Don't try to please everyone. The Customer Segment Wedge exercise helps you choose one segment. That focus is your superpower.
- Don't run more than one experiment at a time. Split attention kills learning. Pick one and go all in.
Your Win by Friday
By Friday, you will have run one focused experiment based on a clear competitive map. You will know whether your hypothesis holds or fails. Either way, you learn something real. And you will have one less question on your list. That is a measurable decision. And honestly, it feels pretty good to cross something off with confidence.