Back to posts
Adapting the Growth Framework for Product Teams

Adapting the Growth Framework for Product Teams

Graham M / January 10, 2025

Building on the engineering growth framework, this adaptation for product teams focuses on strategic thinking and leadership development across various product management roles.

Features

  • Role-Specific Competencies: Focuses on Associate PM to Director of PM roles with clearly defined tasks and milestones.
  • Strategic Growth: Emphasizes the ability to brainstorm, structure strategic conversations, and drive strategy at squad and multi-squad levels.
  • Autonomy and Leadership: Tracks progress from needing help to operating independently, aligning with leadership expectations.

Technologies

  • Interactive Growth Tools: Helps product managers visualize their growth journey.
  • Milestone-Based Evaluation: Anchored in real-world scenarios to ensure relevance and impact.
  • Collaborative Framework: Encourages cross-functional alignment with engineering and design.

How It Works

  1. Role-Based Tracks
    Competencies are tied to roles such as Associate PM, PM, Sr. PM, Lead PM, and Director of PM.

  2. Strategic Thinking
    Focus on brainstorming constructively, leading effective discussions, and driving squad/multi-squad strategies.

  3. Progression and Autonomy
    Tasks evolve from "with help" to "no help," reflecting increasing autonomy and leadership capabilities.

Why It’s Cool

This product-specific framework ensures that growth paths align with the demands of product leadership, fostering innovation and strategic impact across teams. By emphasizing autonomy and cross-squad collaboration, it prepares product managers to excel at all levels.

Getting Started

To implement a similar framework in your organization for your product teams

  1. Review the Engineering Growth Framework
  2. Define product-specific tracks like Strategic Thinking, Leadership, Product Vision, etc...
  3. Align competencies with product management roles.
  4. Introduce the "snowflake" growth app to visualize milestones.
  5. Encourage monthly growth conversations referencing the growth app tool as a visual aid of growth and progression.
  6. Ensure fairness through structured evaluations and an appeals process.
  7. Provide regular check-ins for actionable feedback.

Tools

Growth Framework (.docx)

A foundational document that outlines the guiding principles, tracks, and milestones for team growth. It serves as the blueprint for personal development and organizational success, promoting equitable progression and transparent evaluation.

Download Growth Framework

Product Growth Rubric (.xlsx)

An advanced rubric designed for product teams, focusing on competencies like strategic thinking, roadmap ownership, and squad leadership. It provides clear progression milestones for roles such as Associate PM, PM, Sr. PM, Lead PM, and Director of PM, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and personal career growth.

Download Product Growth Rubric

Story of You (.docx)

A personalized narrative capturing an individual’s growth journey within the framework. It includes key milestones, achievements, and recommendations for future focus areas, serving as a career progression guide.

Download Story of You

Growth Framework Appeal Template (.docx)

A formalized template designed to support team members in appealing growth framework assessments. It provides a clear structure for presenting evidence, detailing milestones, and advocating for reconsideration, ensuring a fair and equitable review process.

Download Growth Framework Appeal Template

Snowflake Growth App

A web-based tool for tracking and visualizing progress across tracks and milestones. Built using modern web technologies, the app provides real-time insights and facilitates productive growth conversations. This tool was initially created by Medium and adapted for our purposes.

Snowflake Growth App Github Repo

Setting up the snowflake growth web app (based on the tool provided by Medium):

git clone `https://github.com/Hypercontext/snowflake`
cd snowflake
npm install -g yarn   //Get yarn if you don’t have it already:
yarn                  //Install dependencies:
yarn dev              //Running the dev server
yarn export           //Building

This will put a static version of the site in out/.

This Growth Framework exemplifies how intentional design can inspire teams to thrive collectively while supporting individual aspirations.