#TPG23: Inversion Thinking
A Product Manager's Superpower
Hi there,
Happy New Month!
As product managers, we are in a position that requires us to think critically and creatively about problems. One of the most powerful mental models that product managers can use to do that is inversion thinking.
Inversion thinking is a way of looking at problems by starting with the desired outcome and working backwards to identify the steps that need to be taken to achieve it. It is essentially a form of reverse engineering.
Let's say you are a product manager for a company that makes online courses. You want to increase the number of students who complete your courses. Using inversion thinking, you would start by asking yourself, "What would it look like if we had a very high completion rate?" You might come up with some answers like:
Students would find our courses to be engaging and relevant.
Students would be able to easily access and use our courses.
Students would feel supported and encouraged throughout the learning process.
Once you have identified the desired outcomes, you can start to work backwards to identify the steps that need to be taken to achieve them. For example, if you want students to find your courses to be engaging, you might need to make sure that the content is well-written and visually appealing. If you want students to be able to easily access and use your courses, you might need to make sure that they are available on mobile devices and that the user interface is easy to navigate.
Why is inversion thinking important for product managers?
Inversion thinking can be a powerful tool for product managers because it helps them to:
Identify the root cause of problems. When you start by thinking about the desired outcome, you are forced to consider all of the factors that contribute to it. This can help you to identify the root cause of problems, which is essential for developing effective solutions.
Think outside the box. Inversion thinking can help you to come up with new and innovative solutions to problems. By working backwards from the desired outcome, you can see the problem from a different perspective and identify new possibilities.
Make better decisions. When you have a clear understanding of the desired outcome, you are better equipped to make sound decisions about how to achieve it. Inversion thinking can help you to weigh the pros and cons of different options and make the best choice for your product.
Be more agile. When you are constantly thinking about the ideal solution, you are more likely to be able to adapt your product to changing market conditions and customer needs.
How to use Inversion Thinking
Inversion thinking is a simple concept, but it can be difficult to master. Here are a few tips for using inversion thinking effectively:
Challenge Assumptions: Inversion thinking prompts you to question and challenge your existing assumptions. Instead of focusing solely on what you want to achieve, explore the inverse scenario and consider what you want to avoid or prevent. When you do this, you can uncover hidden risks, identify potential pitfalls, and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the problem space.
Reverse Problem-Solving: Once you have clearly defined the problem and envisioned the ideal solution, reverse the thought process. Instead of thinking about how to achieve the desired outcome, focus on avoiding or eliminating the undesired outcomes. That helps you approach the problem from a different perspective and encourages creative thinking to find alternative paths and innovative solutions.
Identify Constraints and Trade-Offs: Consider the constraints and trade-offs that exist in achieving your desired solution so that you can proactively address them and find creative ways to work within the limitations. This helps you make more informed decisions and optimize your solution within the given constraints.
Embrace Negative Visualization: Negative visualization involves imagining worst-case scenarios or the opposite of what you desire. By visualizing potential failures or undesired outcomes, you can better understand the risks, anticipate challenges, and develop contingency plans. This technique helps you be more prepared, resilient, and adaptable in the face of adversity.
Foster a Culture of Inversion Thinking: Encourage your team to embrace inversion thinking as well. Incorporate it into brainstorming sessions, problem-solving exercises, and decision-making processes. By fostering a culture that values diverse perspectives and encourages thinking from different angles, you can unlock collective creativity and generate more robust and innovative solutions.
Iterate and Seek Feedback: As you generate solutions using inversion thinking, remember to test them with your target audience or stakeholders. Seek feedback, iterate on your ideas, and refine your solutions based on the insights you gather. This iterative approach allows you to continuously improve and adapt your product based on real-world feedback, ultimately leading to a more successful outcome.
Let’s test these tips out with a scenario.
As a product manager, you have been tasked with developing a mobile app that facilitates remote collaboration among team members working on a complex project. You understand the importance of using inversion thinking to tackle the challenges involved in creating a successful solution. Let's explore how you can apply the points mentioned earlier in this scenario:
Challenge Assumptions
You begin by defining the problem: enabling effective remote collaboration. Instead of assuming that the problem lies solely in the absence of physical proximity, you invert your thinking and consider the potential risks and obstacles that might arise even with a remote collaboration tool in place.
Reverse Problem-Solving
To devise the ideal solution, you envision a platform that seamlessly connects team members regardless of their physical locations. However, using inversion thinking, you reverse the thought process and consider what obstacles you need to overcome to achieve such a platform. This includes challenges like ensuring reliable internet connectivity, addressing potential security concerns, and developing intuitive user interfaces that minimize technical hurdles.
Identify Constraints and Trade-Offs
Recognizing the constraints inherent in the project, such as limited development resources and a tight timeline, you integrate inversion thinking to identify potential trade-offs. For instance, you consider whether sacrificing certain advanced features or integrations might be necessary to ensure a faster development cycle without compromising the core functionality of the app.
Embrace Negative Visualization
You engage in negative visualization by imagining worst-case scenarios. This involves considering scenarios where the app encounters critical technical failures or experiences major usability issues. When you visualise these undesired outcomes, you proactively implement strategies to address potential risks, conduct rigorous testing, and establish backup plans to maintain continuity in case of disruptions.
Foster a Culture of Inversion Thinking
As a product manager, you encourage your team to embrace inversion thinking throughout the development process. You organize brainstorming sessions where team members are encouraged to challenge assumptions, think from different angles, and propose alternative solutions. That way, you can tap into the collective creativity of the team and enhance the likelihood of generating innovative ideas.
Iterate and Seek Feedback
Throughout the development process, you continuously seek feedback from both potential users and stakeholders. This includes conducting usability testing, soliciting feedback on key features, and gathering insights on how the app can better support remote collaboration. By iterating on the feedback received, you refine the app's design, functionality, and user experience to ensure it meets the evolving needs of the target audience.
Inversion Thinking in Real Life
Inversion thinking can be applied to any type of problem, but it is particularly useful for product managers who are trying to solve complex or challenging problems.
Here are a few examples of how product managers have used inversion thinking to improve their products:
Google Maps. Google Maps started with the goal of creating a map that was so easy to use that anyone could use it, even if they didn't know how to read a map. To achieve this goal, Google Maps inverted the traditional map view. Instead of showing the map from above, Google Maps shows the map from the perspective of the user. This makes it much easier for users to find their way around, even if they don't know where they are going.
Airbnb used inversion thinking to come up with the idea of a peer-to-peer rental marketplace. Instead of thinking about how to build more hotels, they thought about how they could connect people who had extra space with people who needed a place to stay.
If you are looking for a way to improve your product management skills, inversion thinking is a great place to start!
Thank you for reading.
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