The Operator's Journal

A working notebook for professional judgment — 18 skills, one spread each, drafted by your own hand.
PM Skills · MIT · mohitagw15856.github.io/pm-claude-skills
01

PRD Template

Create a Product Requirements Document following proven PM template structure.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: prd-template in the playground.)

Functional Requirements
Non-Functional Requirements
Writing Guidelines
Tone
Audience
Length
Best Practices
What Makes a Good PRD
02

Executive Update

Transform detailed product updates into concise executive briefings.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: executive-update in the playground.)

Reads from / Writes to the Brain
Executive Communication Principles
Output Structure
Product Update — [Date / Sprint / Month]
03

Incident Postmortem

Write a structured incident postmortem or post-incident review.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: incident-postmortem in the playground.)

Incident ID
Severity
Date
Duration
Status
Author
Last updated
Executive Summary
04

One-Pager

Distil anything — a startup, product, project, or idea — into a single persuasive page.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: one-pager in the playground.)

The problem
The solution
Why now / why us
The ask
Note
05

Meeting Notes

Structure and format meeting notes following PM best practices.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: meeting-notes in the playground.)

Reads from / Writes to the Brain
Standard Meeting Notes Template
Meeting Header
Agenda
Decisions Made
Action Items
Discussion Notes
Open Questions / Follow-Up
06

RICE Prioritisation

Scores and ranks product initiatives using the RICE framework.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: rice-prioritisation in the playground.)

Reads from / Writes to the Brain
RICE Definitions (adapt to your context)
RICE Formula
Programmatic Helper
Deeper Materials
Output Structure
RICE Prioritisation: [Backlog/Quarter]
Recommended Sequence
07

Competitor Teardown

Produce a structured competitive analysis for any product or market.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: competitor-teardown in the playground.)

Deeper Materials
Output Structure
Scoring Rubric (0–40)
08

OKR Builder

Create well-structured OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) for product teams, startups, and individuals.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: okr-builder in the playground.)

Objective 1
Scoring Guide to Include
Inputs (infer any not provided — label assumption
Guidelines
Scoring Rubric (0–40)
09

Stakeholder Update

Create concise executive stakeholder updates using the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) framework.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: stakeholder-update in the playground.)

Reads from / Writes to the Brain
Deeper Materials
Update Structure
Writing Guidelines
Status Guidelines
BLUF
Progress Summary
Key Metrics
10

Product Launch Checklist

Generate a comprehensive pre-launch, launch day, and post-launch checklist for any product release.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: product-launch-checklist in the playground.)

Launch Checklist — [Feature/Product Name] — Targe
Launch Tier
Launch Owner
Engineering Lead
Go/No-Go Decision By
Go / No-Go Decision
Decision Owner
11

User Research Synthesis

Analyze and synthesize user research findings into structured, actionable insights.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: user-research-synthesis in the playground.)

Reads from / Writes to the Brain
Synthesis Framework
Analysis Guidelines
Deeper Materials
Scoring Rubric (0–40)
Template Output Structure
Research Overview
Executive Summary
12

Go-to-Market Planner

Build a go-to-market plan for any product launch, feature release, or new market entry.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: go-to-market-planner in the playground.)

Launch Tier Framework
GTM Plan Output Format
GTM Plan — [Product/Feature Name] — [Launch Date]
Guidelines
13

Press Release

Write a professional press release for any announcement.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: press-release in the playground.)

Output Structure
Headline Rules
Journalist Test
Deeper Materials
Scoring Rubric (0–40)
14

Cover Letter

Write a specific, non-generic cover letter that connects your evidence to the role.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: cover-letter in the playground.)

Hook (1 short para)
Evidence (1–2 paras)
Close (1 short para)
Voice note
15

Sprint Planning

Structure and facilitate sprint planning sessions.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: sprint-planning in the playground.)

Sprint [N] — [Start Date] to [End Date]
Sprint Goal
Team Capacity
Sprint Backlog
Carry-Overs from Previous Sprint
Risks & Dependencies
Sprint Planning Agenda
Guidelines
16

Decision Forensics

Reconstruct the decision actually made in a messy Slack, email, or meeting thread into a proper decision record — commitments named, silent…

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: decision-forensics in the playground.)

Source
The Decision
Commitments
Assumptions (all `[reconstructed]`)
Options Dismissed
Papered Over
17

Win/Loss Analysis

Analyze why deals are won and lost and turn it into an action plan.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: win-loss-analysis in the playground.)

Scope
Headline
Why We Win (ranked)
Evidence
Why We Lose (ranked)
Win Rate by Cut
Competitive Read
Actions
18

Performance Review

Write structured, balanced performance reviews from bullet-point inputs.

Draft it by hand — fill each section below. (Digital version: performance-review in the playground.)

Output Structure
Overall Summary
Achievements & Impact
Strengths Demonstrated
Areas for Growth
Development Goals for Next Period
Competency Ratings (if framework provided)
Closing Recommendation