Product Progression Framework

Grade Structure
Level Product Manager Product Designer Grade

4 Principal Product Manager Principal Product Designer Director -> C-Suite

3 Senior Product Manager Senior Product Designer Manager -> VP

2 Product Manager Product Designer Associate -> Senior Associate

1 Associate Product Manager Junior Product Designer Of cer -> Analyst

Scoring System
Level 4 - Specialist (D1 → D3)
Scope: Company
You have the skills for independent and qualitative task completion and may initiate optimization approaches, sources of error x and work out
solutions. You are seen as a subject matter expert. You have demonstrated ability to lead and train others. You are sought for help by other
individuals and teams.

Level 3 - Expert (C1 → C3)

Scope: Team
You have the skills for independent and qualitative task completion and can effectively pass this knowledge on to others. Capable and
experienced. Demonstrated pro ciency. You are able to work with no help

Level 2 - Advanced (B1 → B3)

Scope: Project or Feature
You have the skills for independent task completion and quality that goes above the basics. You need help from time to time. You have some
direct experience.
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 Level 1 - Basic (A1 → A3)
Scope: Task
You have basic skills to do the work. Limited in ability or knowledge of domain you're working in. You need signi cant help/guidance from others
to work excellently.

Criteria - Product Managers

🧠 Problem solving
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

• Assesses if features they are • Works with the squad to set • De nes a clear, compelling and • Successfully leads initiatives
involved with are needed, how it clear goals for their remit. ambitious product vision and with high levels of uncertainty,
solves customer problems and • Identi es assumptions and risks, strategy for their remit. Strategy from discovery to successful
how it contributes to a and tackles them upfront, leads to high-performing adoption or retirement.
measurable business objective. testing and learning in product experience that delights • Brings structure, clarity and new
• Demonstrates enthusiasm to increments. users. insights to ambiguous or
learn a range of problem- • Uses or fosters creativity and • Proactively identi es and complex problems. Can often
solving techniques and experimentation to nd and resolves potential problems. nd ways to make it possible to
practices. solve problems Can employ the right (one of ‘do both’ by reframing problem
• Understands how product • Considers which features to many approaches) for the or approach.
works in their squad, which remove, as well as maintain. product and problem.
problems it solves and how it is • Learns from failure and success. • Deep understanding of product
performing. Shares and builds on that in their team and broad
learning. knowledge of overall product.
• Asks good questions to get to
the root of a problem or
opportunity.
• Deep understanding of product
in their squad and good
knowledge of product in team.
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 🙍 User-centricity
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

• Always starts with user needs • Can identify who users are and • In depth knowledge of current • Is a champion for user
and acts as the voice of the user what their needs are, based on and potential users. Manages experience and starting with
within their squad. evidence. Regularly engages trade-offs between user needs. user needs - helps senior
• Able to translate needs into user with users and can carry out • Ensures their area of the stakeholders and team
stories/jobs to be done. Ensures usability testing unassisted." product delights their intended members to understand the
that anything shipped meets • Creates shared context and audiences and forms a coherent value of this approach.
users needs. Understands the understanding of user needs in experience with other features. • Can balance trade offs (or think
delity needed for different their squad. Helps their squad • Champions users and a user- creatively to increase the pie)
stages of rollout to identify and solve user centred approach with between user need and
problems, instead of jumping to stakeholders. business need.
features. Ensures that solutions
to problems are delightful and
high quality."
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 👨💻 Data Skills
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

• Closely tracks metrics for • Collaborates with product • Closely tracks and understands • Makes data-driven decisions
features. Uses them to spot analyst to set up the right things how metrics interact with and based on a multitude of
issues and measure success. to track. Understand what a impact other group/business complex, interdependent
• Understands how squad’s work metric actually measures and metrics. factors.
links to business objectives and how reliable/direct it is. • Identi es when and how to set • Can design and evaluate
key performance indicators. • Closely tracks performance of experiments, supported by a experiments, based on solid
their squad, and how to product data analyst. hypotheses. Proactively alters
in uence it. Draws reliable Incorporates results into future course when con dence of
conclusions from qualitative and iterations. hitting goals is low.
quantitative data. • Can assimilate new information
easily, and can synthesise
qualitative and quantitative
inputs to form reliable insights
into user needs and behaviour.
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 💭 Domain Knowledge
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

• Understands and appreciates • Understands core principles of • Understands how code is • Conversant with overall Kuda
the appropriate use of HTML, web technologies, including tested, deployed and version- architecture, and highly
CSS, JS and native code. HTTP(S)-based interactions controlled for backend knowledgeable about speci c
• Demonstrates appetite and between front-end clients and microservices, native apps and elements and services that are
aptitude to learn about the back-end servers/microservices web interfaces. relevant to their area of
context the product operates in. and APIs. • Develops and maintains solid responsibility.
• Understands the need to foundation of market • Develops and maintains an in-
consider, and takes, expert knowledge in their area, depth market knowledge in at
advice. Applies the concepts proactively identi es potential least one area and is able to
correctly and demonstrates a issues/risks challenge experts. Identi es
strong interest in their area. market opportunities or product
gaps.

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🛠 Execution
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

• Can prioritise de ned tasks • Tends to action - narrowing in • Able to prioritise effectively on • Creates frameworks that aid
based on effort, impact, user on a MVP to help learn. multiple dimensions - makes decision making and
needs and business goals. Comfortable with releasing sure the urgent doesn’t always prioritisation.
uncomfortable rst versions outdo the important; that there
(done is better than perfect). is a balance between new work,
• Leads squad in prioritising work maintenance, xing issues;
with some ambiguity or long- and short-term work.
competing demands. • Employs speed as a habit.
• Makes sure the team have
everything they need to be
productive.
• Maintains sensible work in
progress limits and knows when
and how to say no.

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 🤝 Collaboration
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

• Collaborates daily with • Sets squad rhythm and routines • Servant leader who empowers • Understands how the needs of
members of the product squad - facilitates agreement on how the squad to achieve more and the team vary across product
to ship and iterate. they all work together to be ambitious (test sooner, and team lifecycle and adapts
• Understands the objectives of discover, de ne and ship generate more ideas, think accordingly.
and participates actively in features or experiments to meet broadly), valuing outcome over • Open to being challenged,
team ceremonies. Prepared and their goals. output. encourages constructive con ict
organised to make the most of • Works collaboratively to get the • Ensures the squad are aware of and maximises the talent of
squad time. best out of all of the people in what other squads are working others. Makes the squad
their squad, involving all on and how that relates to their missionaries, not mercenaries.
disciplines throughout. Takes squad’s goals.
proactive steps to build and • Coaches Associate Product
maintain team health, e.g. Managers and helps them
resolve con ict, counter inertia. identify and achieve personal
• Point person for the squad - development goals.
does whatever is needed to
unblock or support the squad
and their delivery. Escalates and
delegates appropriately.
• Ensures the squad has the skills
and resources it needs to ship
autonomously.

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 👪 Communication and Feedback

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

• Seeks out the information they • Proactively communicates with • Can gather in uence and • Ensures the team has strong
need to solve a problem. users, squads and stakeholders. support for their work, relationships with stakeholders,
• Keeps stakeholders like • Identi es assumptions, shares con dently debating and fully recognises their constraints
customer service, legal, direction and tailors defending their decisions and and concerns and creates
marketing, nance updated on communication to audience. approach. mutual recognition and trust.
progress and ensures they have • Seeks out and gives • Communicates effectively to a • Able to simply explain complex
what they need. constructive, actionable wide range of stakeholders, e.g. concepts and deliver dif cult
• Able to clearly articulate what feedback where valuable. sharing update with ExCo/all messages clearly.
we’re working on and why. hands or community.
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