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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 ▾
Concept
The initial idea or proposal for a product or feature.
Growth Stage ▾
Growth Stage
Phase where a product gains traction and grows its user base.
Maturity ▾
Maturity
When product growth stabilizes and focus shifts to efficiency and optimization.
Decline / Sunsetting ▾
Decline / Sunsetting
When a product or feature is retired or its usage steadily decreases over time.
Iteration ▾
Iteration
A cycle of updates and improvements based on feedback and metrics.
Release Cycle ▾
Release Cycle
The cadence and process for shipping releases to users.
Maintenance ▾
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.