Occasionally I will run across a great framework that sounds really useful, but then struggle to find an appropriate way to apply it in practice. One such framework in my back pocket was Eigenquestions (see link in further reading section). Basically an Eigenquestion is a domino question, the answer to which leads to a cascading series of decisions, both now and in the future. It sounds magical, I know, but I had yet to apply it even though I’d discovered it several years ago.
I really appreciate you connecting the concept of an Eigenquestion to that of a principle. I’d wager that most PMs have seen the value of clarifying guiding principles for a product or decision - without explicitly internalizing it as an Eigenquestion. Strong, opinionated guiding principles can be incredibly impactful, especially when you’ve had a chance to soak into a product area and deeply understand the tension points within.
Love this. My take may be naive, but I wrote about it on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nurijanian/status/1540862917486198784
I really appreciate you connecting the concept of an Eigenquestion to that of a principle. I’d wager that most PMs have seen the value of clarifying guiding principles for a product or decision - without explicitly internalizing it as an Eigenquestion. Strong, opinionated guiding principles can be incredibly impactful, especially when you’ve had a chance to soak into a product area and deeply understand the tension points within.