Product managers, designers, and engineers comprise the “product trio” and work together to ensure that the product development process is efficient and effective. PMs should use a five-stage model for involving the right players at the right time — from problem framing to release — to enhance the discovery process and deliver products that meet both customer needs and business goals.

Product managers (PMs) at tech companies working on consumer-facing features face a series of challenging but crucial tasks: identifying the business problem a product will solve, defining the product requirements correctly, and settling on an optimal design before handing the project off to engineers to build. At each step in the process, PMs must ensure that what gets built serves both customers and the business.