Product Managers
Quick Start Guide for Product Managers
Welcome Product Managers!
This guide shows you how to use TrueTrends to identify opportunities, validate concepts, and make data-driven product decisions using trend analysis and consumer insights.
Your Key Objectives in Sila TrueTrends
- Identify unmet market needs through social intelligence
- Validate product concepts with real consumer data
- Understand target user behaviors and motivations
- Spot innovation opportunities early
- Track product-market fit signals
Getting Started with TrueTrends (5 min)
Step 1: Platform Overview (2 min)
- Log into Sila TrueTrends
- Explore the main features:
- Chat Interface: Your primary tool for insights
- Search: Find specific trends and topics
- Trend Browser: Discover emerging patterns
- Visual Trends: Understand design preferences
Step 2 (≈ 3 min): Frame Your Research
- Pick your product category
- List main competitors and alternatives
- Define your target user segments
- Draft initial research questions
Your First Product Research Session (15 min)
Minute 1-3: Market Landscape
Open the Chat interface and start with:
"What are the fastest-growing trends in [product category] over the past 3 months?"
"What problems are people discussing related to [product area]?"
What to Look For:
- Trends with consistent growth
- High engagement topics
- Unmet needs and pain points
- Emerging behaviors
Minute 4-6: User Understanding
Continue with demographic insights:
"Who is most interested in [trend/product category]? Break down by demographics"
"What motivates [target demographic] to engage with [product type]?"
Key Insights to Capture:
- Primary user segments
- Age and location patterns
- Behavioral characteristics
- Emotional drivers
Minute 7-10: Opportunity Validation
Dig deeper into specific opportunities:
"What are users saying they wish existed in [product category]?"
"What complaints do people have about current [product type] solutions?"
"What workarounds are people using for [problem]?"
Document:
- Feature requests
- Pain points
- Current solutions gaps
- Innovation opportunities
Minute 11-15: Competitive Intelligence
Analyze the competitive landscape:
"How do people feel about [competitor product]? What do they love and hate?"
"What features of [competing products] get the most positive mentions?"
"What gaps exist between what users want and what's currently available?"
Capture:
- Competitor strengths/weaknesses
- Differentiation opportunities
- Market positioning gaps
Essential PM Workflows with TrueTrends
1. New Product Ideation
Time: 30 minutes
Process:
-
Problem Discovery (10 min)
Discovery Prompts: > "What are the top frustrations people express about [category]?" > "What DIY solutions are people creating for [problem area]?" > "What 'I wish' statements appear in [product category] discussions?" -
Solution Validation (10 min)
Validation Prompts: > "How many people are discussing [problem]? Is it growing?" > "What solutions have people tried and abandoned? Why?" > "Would [proposed solution] address the main pain points?" -
Market Sizing (10 min)
Sizing Prompts: > "How large is the audience interested in solving [problem]?" > "What's the growth trajectory for [solution category]?" > "What adjacent markets could this solution serve?"
2. Feature Prioritization
Time: 25 minutes
Process:
-
Feature Discovery (10 min)
Feature Research Prompts: > "What features do users mention most when discussing [product type]?" > "Rank these features by how often they're requested: [list]" > "What features drive the most positive sentiment?" -
Impact Assessment (10 min)
Impact Prompts: > "Which user segments care most about [feature]?" > "How would [feature] affect user satisfaction based on current feedback?" > "What problems would [feature] solve that aren't addressed today?" -
Prioritization Matrix (5 min)
Priority Prompts: > "Create a priority matrix of features based on user demand and sentiment" > "Which features would differentiate us most from competitors?" > "What's the MVP feature set based on user needs?"
3. User Persona Development
Time: 30 minutes
Process:
-
Segment Identification (10 min)
Segmentation Prompts: > "Identify distinct user segments interested in [product]" > "What are the demographic profiles of each segment?" > "How do usage patterns differ between segments?" -
Behavioral Analysis (10 min)
Behavior Prompts: > "What triggers [segment] to look for [solution type]?" > "Describe the typical journey of [user segment] discovering [product type]" > "What are the jobs-to-be-done for [segment]?" -
Persona Creation (10 min)
Persona Prompts: > "Create a detailed persona for the primary user of [product]" > "What are their goals, frustrations, and motivations?" > "What language and terminology does this persona use?"
Advanced Product Manager Prompting
Market Validation Prompts
For Opportunity Assessment:
"Is there product-market fit evidence for [concept] in [market]?"
"What signals indicate growing demand for [solution type]?"
"How saturated is the market for [product category]?"
For Risk Analysis:
"What are the main risks in launching [product type]?"
"What similar products have failed and why?"
"What market conditions could impact [product] success?"
Feature Definition Prompts
For Requirements Gathering:
"What are the must-have vs nice-to-have features for [product]?"
"How do users describe their ideal [product type]?"
"What features correlate most strongly with user satisfaction?"
For User Story Creation:
"Convert these user needs into user stories for [feature]"
"What acceptance criteria would users have for [feature]?"
"What edge cases should we consider for [feature]?"
Innovation Strategy Prompts
For Disruption Analysis:
"What emerging trends could disrupt [product category]?"
"What non-obvious competitors should we watch?"
"What technology shifts could impact our product strategy?"
For Future Planning:
"What will users of [product] need in 12 months that they don't need today?"
"How is [user behavior] evolving and what does it mean for our roadmap?"
"What adjacent opportunities emerge from solving [core problem]?"
Product-Market Fit Analysis
PMF Signal Prompts
"What evidence suggests product-market fit for [product/feature]?"
"Are users showing organic advocacy for solutions like ours?"
"What retention signals exist in the market for [product type]?"
Growth Indicator Prompts
"Is interest in [solution category] accelerating or decelerating?"
"What's driving growth in [product category] adoption?"
"What leading indicators suggest future demand for [product]?"
Competitive Intelligence for PMs
Competitive Analysis Prompts
"What is [competitor]'s biggest weakness according to users?"
"How do users compare [our product idea] to [competitor]?"
"What features make users switch from [competitor A] to [competitor B]?"
Positioning Prompts
"What unique value proposition would resonate most with [target users]?"
"How should we position [product] against [main competitor]?"
"What messaging differentiates us in [category]?"
Sprint Planning with TrueTrends
Pre-Sprint Research (20 min)
Sprint Prep Prompts:
1. "What user feedback should influence our next sprint?"
2. "What emerging issues need immediate attention?"
3. "What feature requests align with our current sprint goals?"
Post-Sprint Validation (15 min)
Sprint Review Prompts:
1. "Would [implemented feature] address the user needs we identified?"
2. "How might users react to [change/feature] based on current sentiment?"
3. "What unintended consequences might [feature] have?"
Product Launch Preparation
Pre-Launch Validation
"What concerns might early adopters have about [product]?"
"What objections should we prepare to address?"
"What proof points would be most compelling for [target audience]?"
Launch Messaging
"What language resonates most with [target users] when discussing [problem/solution]?"
"What social proof would be most effective for [product type]?"
"What launch channels would reach our target users best?"
Post-Launch Monitoring
"Set up monitoring for sentiment about [product] after launch"
"What early indicators would signal successful adoption?"
"What feedback patterns should trigger rapid iteration?"
Product Metrics & KPIs
Engagement Metrics Prompts
"What engagement patterns indicate strong product-market fit in [category]?"
"What usage frequency do successful [product type] products show?"
"What are typical retention benchmarks for [product category]?"
Success Metrics Prompts
"What metrics best indicate success for [product type]?"
"How do we measure user satisfaction for [feature]?"
"What leading indicators predict long-term success?"
Common PM Pitfalls to Avoid
Validation Pitfalls
Instead of: Building based on assumptions Ask: "What evidence supports this feature priority?"
Instead of: Ignoring negative signals Ask: "What contradicts our product hypothesis?"
Instead of: Over-building before validation Ask: "What's the minimum feature set to test our core assumption?"
Research Best Practices
- Always ask about actual behaviors, not hypothetical preferences
- Look for patterns across multiple user segments
- Validate findings by asking the same question differently
- Consider both quantitative (volume) and qualitative (sentiment) signals
Weekly PM Routine with TrueTrends
Monday: Market Pulse (15 min)
Weekly Start Prompts:
> "What changed in [product category] over the weekend?"
> "Are there new competitors or solutions to be aware of?"
> "What user concerns emerged that need addressing?"
Wednesday: Feature Check (15 min)
Mid-Week Prompts:
> "What features are users discussing most this week?"
> "How is sentiment trending for [our product area]?"
> "What new use cases are emerging?"
Friday: Competitive Intel (15 min)
Week-End Prompts:
> "What did competitors announce or change this week?"
> "How are users responding to market changes?"
> "What opportunities emerged for next week?"
Quick Decision Frameworks
Feature Go/No-Go Checklist
Decision Prompts:
□ "Does this feature address a validated user need?"
□ "Is demand for this feature growing or shrinking?"
□ "Will this differentiate us from competitors?"
□ "Can we measure the impact of this feature?"
□ "Does this align with our product vision?"
Priority Scoring Prompts
"Score these features by: user demand, competitive advantage, and technical feasibility"
"What's the opportunity cost of not building [feature]?"
"Which feature would have the highest impact on user satisfaction?"
Building Your PM Prompt Library
Categories to Develop:
- Market Research: Size, growth, segments
- User Research: Needs, behaviors, journeys
- Competitive Analysis: Strengths, gaps, positioning
- Feature Validation: Demand, impact, priority
- Launch Planning: Messaging, channels, metrics
- Performance Analysis: Adoption, retention, satisfaction
Prompt Templates:
- "What evidence supports [hypothesis]?"
- "How do users currently solve [problem]?"
- "What would happen if we built [feature]?"
- "Why do users choose [alternative]?"
- "When do users need [solution]?"
PM Resources & Support
Quick References
- Review chat history for insights evolution
- Save effective prompts for reuse
- Document key findings and decisions
- Track hypothesis validation over time
Continuous Learning
- Experiment with different prompt phrasings
- Combine multiple perspectives on same question
- Build domain expertise through regular use
- Share insights with product team
Pro PM Tip: Start each product decision with a hypothesis, then use TrueTrends to gather evidence for or against it. Build a prompt library organized by product lifecycle stage (discovery, definition, development, launch, growth). Always follow up broad questions with specific, actionable queries.