problem-statement
Write a user-centered problem statement with who is blocked, what they are trying to do, why it matters, and how it feels. Use when framing discovery, prioritization, or a PRD.
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill problem-statement --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
## Purpose Articulate a problem from the user's perspective using an empathy-driven framework that captures who they are, what they're trying to do, what's blocking them, why, and how it makes them feel. Use this to align stakeholders on the problem before jumping to solutions, and to frame product work around user outcomes rather than feature requests. This is not a requirements doc—it's a human-centered problem narrative that ensures you're solving a problem worth solving. ## Input **Works best with:** Who the user is and what they're struggling to do. **Also useful:** What's blocking them, why it matters, how it feels, and supporting evidence. Anything supplied with the invocation itself — text after the skill name, a pasted context dump, or an appended `ARGUMENTS:` line — counts as answers already given. Use it and skip whatever it covers; don't re-ask. **Arriving empty-handed? That works too.** The skill asks for the user and their goal first — a problem statement without a specific 'who' is a solution looking for cover. **Example invocation:** `Problem statement: clinic schedulers double-book exam rooms because the calendar doesn't show equipment availability.` ## Key Concept
- Purpose
- Input
- Key Concepts
- The Problem Framing Framework
- Why This Structure Works
- Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)
- When to Use This
- When NOT to Use This
- Application
- Step 1: Gather User Context
- Step 2: Draft the Problem Framing Narrative
- Step 3: Document Context & Constraints
- Step 4: Craft the Final Problem Statement
- Step 5: Validate and Socialize
What does the problem-statement skill do?
Write a user-centered problem statement with who is blocked, what they are trying to do, why it matters, and how it feels. Use when framing discovery, prioritization, or a PRD.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill problem-statement --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills, a repository with 6,255 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.