Building DigiX - A Community for Digital Beings

Problem Statement

You are the Product Manager for an EdTech Company. Your learners are white-collar working professionals who have 1-3 years of experience. They are looking to upskill to grow in their careers within their current company or make a career transition to fields like digital marketing and eCommerce.

The company is a deep upskilling company that brings an industry backward upskilling in learning-by-doing pedagogy. Through the company’s platform, the learners can not only learn but also apply what they learn and do tasks that people do at work.

As the Product Manager, you are responsible for building a community platform for the company. The objective of this community platform is to build a top funnel of potential learners. Your job is to understand what learners are looking for and build a product roadmap for this community platform.

Understanding Product Design Using BUS Framework

Business Problem:

Build a community platform to attract potential learners for upskilling programs in digital marketing and e-commerce. The platform should also be able to provide an engaging and interactive experience for the users, thereby creating a top funnel of potential learners.

User Problem:

The learners are looking for a platform that can provide them with relevant information, knowledge, perspectives, jobs, peer-to-peer chats, and other resources that can help them upskill and advance in their careers. They want to be able to interact with their peers and mentors and get personalized feedback on their progress.

Solution:

Create a community platform with task-based learning, industry expert mentorship, peer-to-peer collaboration, job opportunities, and learning resources to attract potential learners, cater to their needs, and create a top funnel.

Ideal Customer Profile

Demography

White-collar working professionals
1-3 years of work experience
Age range: 22-28 years
Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher

Psychography

Ambitious
Willing to invest time and effort
Seeking hands-on learning experiences
Enchanted by E-commerce

Needs

Task-based learning
Access to job opportunities
Opportunities for peer-to-peer collaboration
Access to mentors for guidance

Behavior

Invests in upskilling programs
Active Learners
Seek an engaging learning experience
Put in the effort to learning

User Motivations

Higher Salary
Professional Development
Networking
Career Advancement

Unsolved Problems

Access to High-Quality Resources
Skill Gaps
Lack of Accountability While Learning
Organized Job Opportunities
Staying updated with industry trends

User Journey Using AIDA Model

Awareness	User discovers the community platform while gathering information about careers in ecommerce and digital marketing, through various channels such as social media, search engines, referrals, or ads.
Interest	User discovers the community platform while gathering information about careers in e-commerce and digital marketing, through various channels such as social media, search engines, referrals, or ads.
Desire	User engages with the community by participating in discussion forums, collaborating with peers on projects, and seeking feedback from mentors.
Action	User selects a program that aligns with their learning goals and career aspirations. They may also seek guidance from mentors to make an informed decision.

*Even though the AIDA Model is used to understand the complete user journey, I am using it for the Community being the TOFU and the final action being the sale of a program.

Community Feature Matrix

A feature matrix is a table or grid that lists the various features or capabilities of a product, along with relevant information about each feature.

A feature matrix for the DigiX Community will look like the one below:

Feature	Description
Discussion Forums	Users can participate in discussion forums to share insights, ask questions, and seek feedback from peers and mentors.
Peer-to-Peer Collaboration	Users can collaborate with peers on projects and assignments to develop practical skills and apply learning in real-world scenarios.
Mentorship	Users can access mentorship from industry experts who provide guidance and feedback on learning and career development.
Resource Library	Users can access a variety of learning resources such as videos, articles, podcasts, and case studies to deepen their understanding of the topics.
Job Board	Users can explore job opportunities that are relevant to their skills and career goals and apply for them directly through the platform.
Live Events and Webinars	Host live events and webinars featuring industry experts, guest speakers, and thought leaders to provide learners with access to unique insights.

Feature Prioritization

Feature prioritization using the value vs complexity model involves evaluating each feature of a product or service based on its potential value to the user and the complexity involved in implementing it. The aim is to identify which features should be prioritized based on their relative importance.

To use this model, the first step is to identify all the potential features that can be added to the product or service. Next, each feature is evaluated based on two criteria:

Value: How much value will the feature add to the user? Will it improve the user experience or provide additional benefits? This can be measured in terms of user satisfaction, increased usage, or any other relevant metric.
Complexity: How difficult will it be to implement the feature? This can be measured in terms of development time, technical complexity, and any other relevant factors.

Once all features have been evaluated based on these criteria, they can be plotted on a matrix or on a table with the value on one axis and the complexity on the other. This will help to identify which features offer the greatest value for the least complexity and which features are more complex but may still be worth implementing based on the value they provide.

Feature	Value	Complexity
Resource Library	High	Low
Job Board	High	Medium
Mentorship	High	Medium
Discussion Forums	Medium	Low
Live Events and Webinar	Medium	Medium
Peer-to-Peer Collaboration	Medium	High

*Because primary market research and testing were not possible, I have chosen a well-known framework to prioritize. While Implementation, I would also focus on user interviews and focus groups to prioritize feature development.

30-60-90 Day Sprint

Sprint 1 (Days 1-30)

Goal: Establish a foundation for the Resource Library and Job Board

Sprint 2 (Days 31-60)

Goal: Launch the Resource Library and Job Board, and begin work on the Mentorship Program

Sprint 3 (Days 61-90) Goal: Complete the Mentorship Program, and begin work on the Discussion Forums

Timeline	Tasks
Week 1-2	Develop a user-friendly interface for browsing and posting resources and jobs. Populate the Resource Library with content and invite employers to post job openings on the Job Board.
Week 3-4	Develop a user-friendly interface for browsing and posting resources and jobs. Populate the Resource Library with content and invite employers to post job openings on the Job Board.
Week 5-6	Finalize the Resource Library and Job Board platforms and launch them to the community
Week 7-8	Conduct user research to understand user needs and preferences for a Mentorship Program
Week 9-10	Develop a user-friendly interface for mentor-mentee matching and communication. Invite mentors to participate in the program, and match them with interested mentees.
Week 11-12	Continue the Mentorship Program, monitor and improve user experience, and gather feedback. Begin work on the Discussion Forums by conducting user research to understand user needs and preferences.
Week 13-14	Develop a user-friendly interface for the Discussion Forums, conduct user testing, iterate based on feedback, and launch the Discussion Forums.