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1. Strategy & Vision Jargons (7)
| Jargon | Meaning | Where It’s Used |
|---|---|---|
| North Star Metric (NSM) | A single, guiding metric that reflects long-term business success. | Used in roadmap discussions or goal-setting sessions to align the team on what really matters (e.g., “For Airbnb, nights booked is the North Star Metric.”). |
| OKR (Objectives and Key Results) | A framework to set measurable goals that connect strategy with execution. | Used during quarterly planning to define team objectives (“Increase user retention by 20%”). |
| KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) | Quantifiable metrics to track progress on specific outcomes. | Used in product review meetings or dashboards (e.g., DAU, NPS, or Conversion Rate). |
| Vision Statement | A future-facing statement of what the product aims to achieve long-term. | Used in product decks or presentations to communicate the big picture. |
| Mission Statement | Defines the product’s purpose and approach to achieving the vision. | Used in leadership discussions or team onboarding materials. |
| Strategy Pillars | Core themes or focus areas that guide product strategy. | Used in annual planning to frame priorities (e.g., “Trust, Growth, Efficiency”). |
| Product-Market Fit (PMF) | The point when a product satisfies strong market demand. | Used in startup phases or growth reviews (“We’re seeing early PMF in Tier 2 cities”). |
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2. Discovery & Research Jargons (7)
| Jargon | Meaning | Where It’s Used |
|---|---|---|
| User Persona | A fictional representation of your target user segment. | Used during discovery workshops or UX design phases. |
| Pain Point | A user’s specific frustration or problem your product aims to solve. | Used during user interviews and defining problem statements. |
| JTBD (Jobs To Be Done) | A framework focusing on what users “hire” a product to do. | Used during feature ideation (e.g., “Users hire Swiggy for reliable meal delivery”). |
| User Journey Map | A visual flow of how users interact with your product. | Used by UX teams to identify friction points and opportunities. |
| Usability Testing | Observing real users as they use your product. | Used before major design rollouts to validate experience. |
| Market Segmentation | Dividing users into groups based on needs or behavior. | Used in go-to-market and product targeting decisions. |
| Empathy Map | A tool to visualize what users think, feel, say, and do. | Used in discovery sessions to humanize data insights. |
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3. Roadmapping & Prioritization Jargons (7)
| Jargon | Meaning | Where It’s Used |
|---|---|---|
| MVP (Minimum Viable Product) | The smallest product version that delivers value and validates assumptions. | Used during early development or concept testing (“Let’s ship an MVP to test the demand”). |
| Backlog | A prioritized list of tasks or features to be developed. | Used during sprint planning and backlog grooming sessions. |
| Prioritization Frameworks | Methods to decide which features to build first. | Used during roadmap planning (e.g., RICE, MoSCoW, Kano). |
| RICE Score | Formula: (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort — helps rank initiatives. | Used to prioritize roadmap items objectively. |
| MoSCoW Method | Categorizes tasks as Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, Won’t-have. | Used when balancing product scope or negotiating deadlines. |
| Kano Model | Classifies features as basic, performance, or delight factors. | Used during feature ideation to predict user satisfaction. |
| Trade-off | A compromise between features, time, and resources. | Used in executive reviews or sprint scope discussions. |
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4. Design & Development Jargons (8)
| Jargon | Meaning | Where It’s Used |
|---|---|---|
| Wireframe | Low-fidelity visual layout of a product screen. | Used early in design discussions to visualize structure before UI work. |
| Mockup | A high-fidelity design showing what the final interface looks like. | Used for stakeholder reviews or user testing. |
| Prototype | Interactive simulation of the product before coding. | Used in design validation sessions. |
| UI/UX | User Interface / User Experience — design disciplines focusing on usability and aesthetics. | Used across design & review conversations. |
| Tech Debt | The cost of choosing an easy solution now instead of a better one later. | Used in sprint planning or retrospectives to prioritize refactoring. |
| API | Application Programming Interface — rules that allow software systems to communicate. | Used in integration discussions with engineering. |
| Sprint | A fixed time-boxed period (usually 1–2 weeks) to deliver specific work. | Used in Agile project execution. |
| Scrum / Kanban | Agile methodologies for organizing team workflows. | Used during team process setup or retrospectives. |
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5. Launch & Growth Jargons (8)
| Jargon | Meaning | Where It’s Used |
|---|---|---|
| Go-To-Market (GTM) | Strategy for launching and promoting a product to users. | Used before launch to coordinate marketing, sales, and product efforts. |
| Beta Launch | A limited release to a small user group for feedback. | Used before public release to catch bugs or usability issues. |
| Adoption Rate | How quickly users start using a new feature/product. | Used post-launch in performance reports. |
| Activation | The point when a user experiences value for the first time. | Used in onboarding design and growth analytics. |
| Retention | The percentage of users who continue using your product over time. | Used in performance dashboards and churn analysis. |
| Churn Rate | The rate at which users stop using your product. | Used in growth and retention strategy reviews. |
| Cohort Analysis | Tracking user behavior over time by segment. | Used in growth analytics to assess engagement trends. |
| Funnel | The stepwise flow users go through from awareness to conversion. | Used in marketing/product analytics dashboards. |
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6. Metrics & Analytics Jargons (7)
| Jargon | Meaning | Where It’s Used |
|---|---|---|
| DAU / MAU | Daily Active Users / Monthly Active Users. | Used in growth reports and retention tracking. |
| CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) | Cost of acquiring a new user. | Used in marketing and budgeting discussions. |
| LTV (Lifetime Value) | Total revenue expected from a customer over their lifespan. | Used in ROI calculations. |
| Conversion Rate | Percentage of users completing a desired action. | Used in product performance analysis. |
| NPS (Net Promoter Score) | User loyalty metric based on survey responses. | Used in feedback dashboards and product review decks. |
| Engagement Rate | How frequently or deeply users interact with your product. | Used in analytics to measure stickiness. |
| Activation Rate | % of new users who reach their first “aha” moment. | Used in onboarding reviews. |
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7. Collaboration & Stakeholder Jargons (5)
| Jargon | Meaning | Where It’s Used |
|---|---|---|
| Stakeholders | Anyone with interest or influence in the product. | Used in planning and communication meetings. |
| Cross-functional Teams | Teams that include PMs, designers, engineers, and marketers. | Used in sprint ceremonies and roadmap reviews. |
| Alignment | Ensuring everyone understands and supports the same priorities. | Used in leadership or sprint kickoff meetings. |
| Dependencies | Tasks or teams that rely on each other for delivery. | Used in sprint planning and program management. |
| Escalation | Raising a blocker or decision to leadership. | Used when team-level conflicts need resolution. |
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Lifecycle (7)
Concept â–ľ
Concept
The initial idea or proposal for a product or feature.
Growth Stage â–ľ
Growth Stage
Phase where a product gains traction and grows its user base.
Maturity â–ľ
Maturity
When product growth stabilizes and focus shifts to efficiency and optimization.
Decline / Sunsetting â–ľ
Decline / Sunsetting
When a product or feature is retired or its usage steadily decreases over time.
Iteration â–ľ
Iteration
A cycle of updates and improvements based on feedback and metrics.
Release Cycle â–ľ
Release Cycle
The cadence and process for shipping releases to users.
Maintenance â–ľ
Maintenance
Ongoing work required to keep the product stable, secure, and up-to-date.
How Jargons Come Alive in Real PM Scenarios
During Sprint Planning
MVP, Tech Debt, Dependencies — used to prioritize and sequence work.
In Go-To-Market Meetings
GTM, Churn, Adoption — used to align launch and growth plans.
When Analyzing Performance
DAU, NPS, Retention — used to measure impact and health.
Commonly Confused Terms
Retention vs Churn
Retention is who stays; churn is who leaves — both are complementary metrics.
MVP vs Prototype
MVP is production-ready minimal product; prototype is usually non-production, for validation.