Four Decision Tree Frameworks Product Managers Need to Know

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PUBLISHED

Dec 6, 2024

READING TIME

2 min & 54 sec

Dear Reader,

As a highly visual thinker, decision trees are one of my favorite ways to support product teams in making real progress and bringing structure to my thinking. Today, I want to share four of my favorite tree structures and use an outside-in view on Eventbrite to illustrate their usage.

MECE Trees

The MECE tree structure, invented by legendary McKinsey consultant Barbara Minto, helps product teams break down problems into non-overlapping (Mutually Exclusive) and comprehensive categories (Collectively Exhausting).

For example, when Eventbrite’s event creator success tanks, they might separate barriers into platform usage, business success, and support—ensuring no overlap and gaps in their analysis.

Metrics Trees

Metrics Trees evolve MECE thinking into trackable metrics, progressing from lagging to leading indicators as you move down the tree. If you have the data, metrics trees can be set up in an algorithmic way. But even if you lack quantitative insights, creating a narrative-driven metrics tree will help you uncover measurement gaps. And while MECE is an excellent ambition for your metrics trees, don’t stress about it. Sometimes, a lower-level metric will link to more than one metric–and that’s ok.

At Eventbrite, the tree might start with a lagging metric like quarterly creator revenue, break down into ticket sales performance, and further branch into leading indicators like event creation completion rates that predict future success.

Opportunity Solution Trees

Opportunity Solution Trees bridge metrics and solutions. While Metrics Trees tell you what to measure, OSTs guide you on what to build.

At Eventbrite, this means connecting creator success metrics to concrete opportunities (like simplifying event creation) and potential solutions (such as intelligent templates).

Impact Maps

Similar to OSTs, Impact Maps help teams navigate the connection of problem and solution spaces by connecting high-level business goals to specific solutions and experiments–Highlighting where teams lack evidence to make decisions.

Starting with a clear goal (increase creator success by 25%), Eventbrite’s product team might identify key actors (first-time vs. recurring creators), identify needed behavior changes through research, and outline solutions to test.

1 Question For You To Put This Into Practice

What's the most important metric for your product's success? Can you trace it to three leading indicators your team can influence next quarter?

Reply and let me know your answer.

If you have ever benefited from my content, I'd appreciate it if you would share this newsletter on LinkedIn. It truly helps.

Thank you for Practicing Product,

Tim

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