Were we solving the real (opens in new tab)

The POPM (Product Owner/Product Manager) training course at Kakao focuses on restructuring existing professional knowledge into a cohesive framework for solving real-world business problems. Rather than simply delivering new information, the program emphasizes aligning strategy with execution, transforming "strategy" from a vague concept into a practical set of decision-making criteria. The ultimate goal is to move teams away from a "release-only" mindset toward a cycle of continuous hypothesis verification and learning.

Strategic Thinking and Metric Modeling

• Strategic Decision Criteria: Strategy is redefined as the standard for team judgment, utilizing frameworks like MECE, MVP, and priority-setting models to align daily tasks with long-term goals.
• Metrics as Problem-Solving Language: Key indicators such as Funnel, Retention, Cohort, and LTV are treated not just as data points, but as a language used to define and reveal underlying product issues.
• Context-Based Design: UX design is approached through "context-based logic" rather than intuition, encouraging teams to ask which specific design fits the current user journey.

Systematic Experimentation and A/B Testing

• The MASS Framework: Experiments are designed and evaluated based on being Measurable, Attributable, Sensitive, and having a Short-term cycle.
• Failure Analysis Routines: The curriculum emphasizes the importance of establishing a routine for interpreting failed experiments, ensuring that every test contributes to the team's institutional knowledge.
• Incremental Testing: Encourages a culture of "starting small," giving teams the confidence to run experiments without requiring massive resource allocation.

Building Repeatable Execution Loops

• Metric-Based Retrospectives: Teams transition from simply finishing a release to a structured loop of "Problem Definition → Hypothesis → Metric → Verification → Retrospective."
• Formalizing Problem Definitions: Using templates to 명문화 (formally document) the problem, expected behavior, and success metrics ensures that the entire team—not just the PO—understands the "why" behind every task.
• Operational Rhythms: Teams are adopting fixed weekly or bi-weekly cycles for sharing insights and adjusting priorities, turning data-driven execution into a natural habit.

The most critical takeaway for product teams is to constantly ask: "Is the work we are doing right now actually a solution to a defined problem, or are we just busy releasing features?" Success lies in moving beyond the sense of accomplishment from a launch and establishing a repeatable rhythm that validates whether those efforts truly move the needle.