Why This Phase Matters
Most PMs start with solutions. They inherit features, react to competitors, or build what stakeholders ask for. They never develop the muscle to sense where value is waiting to be created.
This phase builds that muscle. Without it, you'll always be executing someone else's vision, chasing symptoms instead of root causes, and optimizing existing games instead of creating new ones.
SKIP THIS PHASE
You'll execute someone else's vision
DO THIS PHASE
You'll create your own opportunities
SKIP THIS PHASE
You'll chase symptoms
DO THIS PHASE
You'll address root causes
SKIP THIS PHASE
You'll optimize existing games
DO THIS PHASE
You'll create new games
SKIP THIS PHASE
You'll miss the big opportunities
DO THIS PHASE
You'll see what others can't
The Core Concept: Disagio
Disagio (Italian)
A feeling of unease about something that doesn't quite work, but you aren't exactly sure why.
It's not a defined problem. It's pre-problem. It's the friction, the "this is harder than it should be," the "why does everyone just accept this?" The disagio is your raw material. Everything else flows from it.
The Shift
"What feature should we build?"
→
"What doesn't work in the world?"
"What do customers say they want?"
→
"What do people believe that makes them accept this friction?"
"How do we beat competitors?"
→
"Who isn't being served and why?"
"React to the market"
→
"See what the market can't see yet"