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Scenario Router

Use this page when you know the situation, but you do not know which pm-workbench workflow to start with.

This is not a framework catalog. It is a fast route map for using pm-workbench like an OpenClaw-native PM workbench.

The shortest routing rule

If the problem is still fuzzy, start upstream. If the problem is already clear, move to the workflow that produces the decision or artifact you need.

1. "This ask is still fuzzy. I need to figure out what we are actually solving."

Start with

  • clarify-request

Typical signals

  • the boss request sounds like a slogan
  • someone jumped to a feature before explaining the problem
  • the requirement is politically loaded but still unclear
  • the team is already debating solutions too early

What you should expect back

  • a sharper problem statement
  • separated problem / goal / embedded solution
  • 1-2 missing questions that actually matter
  • a reusable request clarification brief

Good entry prompt

My boss said our AI product needs more wow factor. Help me unpack what problem this is actually pointing to before we start proposing features.

2. "A stakeholder wants something. I need to decide if it is worth doing."

Start with

  • evaluate-feature-value

Typical signals

  • a stakeholder keeps pushing for something
  • the feature sounds interesting but maybe gimmicky
  • you need a go / hold / no-go view
  • you need product judgment, not brainstorming

What you should expect back

  • user value judgment
  • business / strategic value judgment
  • effort / risk judgment
  • a recommendation and next step

Good entry prompt

Ops wants a daily AI fortune card feature to improve engagement. I’m worried it is a gimmick. Help me evaluate whether it is worth doing now.

3. "We already have 2 or more directions. I need a recommendation."

Start with

  • compare-solutions

Typical signals

  • there are two plausible product paths
  • tech, design, or business each prefer different directions
  • the trade-off matters more than the descriptions
  • you need a recommendation, not symmetric pros and cons

What you should expect back

  • decision objective
  • explicit trade-off
  • recommended option
  • why not the others now

Good entry prompt

Compare these two paths for our AI product: a faster marketable AI layer versus a slower but more trust-building core product improvement. Recommend one current-period path and explain why not the other one now.

4. "We have too many requests and not enough room."

Start with

  • prioritize-requests

Typical signals

  • next quarter cannot fit everything
  • several stakeholders all want different things
  • leadership needs a defendable above-the-line / below-the-line call
  • you need a real top group, not a soft score table

What you should expect back

  • period objective
  • ranked or tiered stack
  • what is above the line
  • what is below the line and why

Good entry prompt

We only have room for 3 priorities next quarter. Help me rank these requests, make the trade-offs explicit, and say what is clearly below the line.

5. "The direction is mostly clear. I need a lightweight PRD draft."

Start with

  • draft-prd

Typical signals

  • the problem is already reasonably understood
  • the team needs a working draft, not a polished full spec
  • you want scope, flow, constraints, and open questions captured quickly

What you should expect back

  • problem and goal framing
  • target user and scenario
  • proposed solution shape
  • scope boundaries and open questions

Good entry prompt

We have decided to simplify onboarding for new team admins. Draft a lightweight PRD with the problem, goal, user flow, scope boundaries, and main open questions.

6. "I need a roadmap or phase plan, not just a ranked list."

Start with

  • build-roadmap

Typical signals

  • you need a quarter story or phase story
  • sequence and dependencies matter
  • the team needs a stage goal, not just priorities
  • leadership needs to see what this period is really about

What you should expect back

  • controlling roadmap thesis
  • themes or phases
  • sequencing logic
  • explicit non-focus area

Good entry prompt

Help me turn these priorities into a roadmap for the next quarter. I need a stage goal, sequence, and a clear statement of what is not the focus this period.

7. "We know what we want to launch. We do not yet know how to judge success."

Start with

  • design-metrics

Typical signals

  • the team knows what it wants to launch but not how to judge success
  • the current metric set is too loose or vanity-driven
  • you need one core metric plus supporting and guardrail metrics

What you should expect back

  • core outcome metric
  • leading or process metrics
  • guardrail metrics
  • review window and judgment rule

Good entry prompt

We are launching a premium AI meeting summary workflow. Help me design the success metrics, including one core metric, supporting signals, and guardrails.

8. "I need something leadership can read fast and react to."

Start with

  • prepare-exec-summary

Typical signals

  • you need a one-page update
  • the audience is a boss, founder, or leadership team
  • the output needs a conclusion and an explicit ask
  • this is about upward communication, not more analysis

What you should expect back

  • conclusion first
  • only the evidence that matters
  • key risk
  • explicit ask or decision point

Good entry prompt

Turn this into a one-page executive summary. My recommendation is to delay broader marketing, spend 6 weeks fixing activation friction, and request one temporary frontend engineer.

9. "The launch already happened. I need a useful review."

Start with

  • write-postmortem

Typical signals

  • the launch underperformed or surprised the team
  • you need expected vs actual analysis
  • the point is to learn and change behavior, not write ceremony

What you should expect back

  • expected vs actual comparison
  • what worked and what did not
  • likely causes
  • lessons and concrete next actions

Good entry prompt

This launch underperformed. Help me write a postmortem that explains what actually happened, what we misread, and what we should change next time.

10. "Leadership needs a portfolio call, not just a ranked list."

Start with

  • portfolio-review

Typical signals

  • multiple valid initiatives compete for one period's capacity
  • leadership needs above-the-line and below-the-line decisions
  • stakeholder pressure is real but cannot all be funded
  • the output must include a decision or alignment ask

What you should expect back

  • period objective
  • above-the-line bets
  • below-the-line decisions
  • main opportunity cost
  • leadership ask

Good entry prompt

Help me prepare a portfolio review for next quarter. We need to decide what is above the line, what is below the line, and what leadership needs to protect.

11. "The product signals are mixed. I need an operating diagnosis."

Start with

  • head-of-product-operating-review

Typical signals

  • activation, retention, delivery, support, sales, or quality signals conflict
  • leadership needs the real product read, not a status report
  • the team needs a next-period focus
  • some noisy work needs to stay below the line

What you should expect back

  • bottom line
  • signal pattern
  • dominant operating diagnosis
  • above-the-line focus
  • leadership decisions needed

Good entry prompt

Activation is up, retention is flat, support tickets are still high, and sales is pushing enterprise work. Help me turn this into a head-of-product operating review with a clear diagnosis and next focus.

12. "The founder needs business truth, not a motivational summary."

Start with

  • founder-business-review

Typical signals

  • traffic or narrative is improving but conversion, retention, or monetization is weak
  • investor pressure may distort roadmap choices
  • founder needs a next-period focus or trade-off call
  • the work spans product, growth, commercial, and operating constraints

What you should expect back

  • business bottom line
  • what is improving versus what only looks better
  • strategic diagnosis
  • what to double down on
  • founder decision ask

Good entry prompt

Traffic is up after a partnership push, but conversion is still weak and retention is uneven. Help me prepare a founder business review that separates narrative momentum from business truth.

If you are still unsure between two workflows

Use this tie-breaker:

  • Need clarity first? -> clarify-request
  • Need a go / no-go judgment? -> evaluate-feature-value
  • Need to choose among options? -> compare-solutions
  • Need to rank multiple items? -> prioritize-requests
  • Need a draft artifact? -> draft-prd
  • Need a phased plan? -> build-roadmap
  • Need success metrics? -> design-metrics
  • Need upward communication? -> prepare-exec-summary
  • Need a review of what already happened? -> write-postmortem
  • Need above-the-line / below-the-line portfolio funding? -> portfolio-review
  • Need a diagnosis from mixed product operating signals? -> head-of-product-operating-review
  • Need founder-level business truth and next-period focus? -> founder-business-review

A practical habit

When in doubt, start one step earlier than feels comfortable.

That usually means:

  • do not draft a PRD before the problem is stable
  • do not build a roadmap before the period objective is clear
  • do not write an exec summary before the decision call is real

If you want a higher-level route, not just one workflow

Use:

Bottom line

pm-workbench works best when you route by the actual PM job to be done. This page exists to make that first routing choice fast.