Problem Statement - The Skill of Writing Problem Statements from the User’s Perspective

Skill Overview

problem-statement is a product-discovery skill that uses the empathy framework of “Who am I / What am I trying to do / What is blocking me / What is the root cause / How do I feel” to help you write a problem statement from the user’s perspective and align the team before developing a solution.

Applicable Scenarios

1. The team always jumps straight to solutions: Everyone proposes solutions in meetings, but no one writes down the actual problem to be solved. Use this skill to clearly frame the problem before discussing how to solve it.
2. Writing a problem definition for a PRD that executives will read: You need a concise, measurable, empathetic problem statement that quickly aligns skeptical stakeholders on “why this is worth doing.”
3. Having a pile of feature requests but not seeing the real problem behind them: Users say, “We need a dashboard,” but no one can clearly explain what they want to achieve. Use this skill to translate feature requests back into problems from the user’s perspective.

Core Functions

1. Problem Framing Narrative: Develop the narrative using a five-part structure—“I am (user profile) / Trying to (desired outcome) / But (real-world obstacle) / Because (root cause) / Which makes me feel (genuine feeling).” Each section includes a quality check—for example, whether the profile evokes a specific, imaginable person; whether “Trying to” describes an outcome rather than a task; and whether “Because” identifies a root cause rather than a symptom.
2. Documenting Context and Constraints: Clearly list real-world constraints such as geography, technology, timing, and audience separately, so the problem statement reflects actual limitations rather than an idealized scenario.
3. Distilling a One-Sentence Problem Statement + Anti-Pattern Protection: Use the formula “[Who] needs a way to [achieve what], because [root cause], currently resulting in [impact]” to converge on a single sentence. The skill also includes checks for five types of anti-patterns: solution smuggling, treating company metrics as user problems, defining the audience too broadly, mistaking symptoms for root causes, and fabricating user emotions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a problem statement, a PRD, and a user story?

A problem statement defines “what problem needs to be solved”; a PRD defines “how to solve it”; and user stories break the solution down into actionable items. This skill is used before writing a PRD: first confirm that the problem is worth solving, then move on to the solution. It cannot replace user research or serve as a PRD.

Can I use it without having conducted user research?

Not recommended. The skill explicitly requires you to “conduct interviews first when context is missing; do not invent problems out of thin air.” In particular, the “feeling” section should be based on real user quotes, such as “frustrated” or “stuck,” rather than marketing-style phrases like “empowered and delighted.”

What is “Solution Smuggling”?

It refers to statements such as “the problem is that we are missing a certain feature”—phrasing that packages a predetermined solution as the problem. This skill uses “Trying to” to force a focus on the outcome users actually want to achieve, preventing this substitution and ensuring that the problem is validated before discussing solutions.