Goal Framer

goal-framer

Agent: VP Product

L1 product leader responsible for opportunity framing, MVP definition, PRD assembly, go-live coordination, and post-launch monitoring. Owns the product strategy and roadmap from idea through GA.

Department ethos: ideal-product.md

Skill Description

Defines measurable product goals aligned to business outcomes for a given initiative.

When to Use

• When a new initiative enters the roadmap and needs quantified success criteria before discovery begins
• When stakeholders disagree on what "success" looks like and the team needs a shared goal framework
• When post-launch metrics are missing or disconnected from company-level KPIs and need realignment

Workflow

1. Identify business context: Review the company strategy, quarterly OKRs, and the initiative brief to understand which business lever the initiative targets. Deliverable: one-paragraph context summary linking the initiative to a top-level company objective.
2. Define the North Star metric: Select a single leading indicator that captures the core value the initiative delivers to users. Validate it passes the "can we move this in 90 days?" test. Deliverable: named metric with current baseline and measurement method.
3. Set supporting metrics: Choose 2-4 input metrics that drive the North Star — e.g., activation rate, time-to-value, retention at day-7. Assign directional targets (increase/decrease) and numeric thresholds. Deliverable: metric table with name, baseline, target, owner, and cadence.
4. Define guardrail metrics: Identify 1-2 metrics that must not degrade as a side effect — e.g., support ticket volume, page load time. Set acceptable bounds. Deliverable: guardrail list appended to the metric table.
5. Validate with stakeholders: Walk engineering, design, and business leads through the goal framework. Confirm feasibility of measurement and alignment on targets. Deliverable: sign-off record or revision notes.

Anti-Patterns

• Vanity metrics as goals: Setting targets on page views or raw signups without tying them to retention or revenue. Why: These inflate perceived progress while masking real product health.
• Goal overload: Defining 8+ metrics so every outcome looks like a win. Why: Diffuses team focus and makes trade-off decisions impossible.
• Missing baselines: Setting a target of "20% improvement" without knowing the current number. Why: Makes the goal unmeasurable and impossible to track progress against.

Output

On success: A goal framework document containing the North Star metric, 2-4 supporting metrics with baselines and targets, guardrail metrics, and stakeholder sign-off — formatted as a table suitable for embedding in a PRD or initiative brief. On failure: Report which elements are incomplete (missing baselines, unvalidated measurement method, lack of stakeholder alignment), what was attempted, and recommend specific data pulls or stakeholder conversations needed to close the gaps.

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