Introduction
One of the biggest challenges junior Product Managers face is converting scattered user complaints and vague requests into clear, structured product requirements.
Most beginners jump into building features before understanding the real problem, which leads to poor decisions and wasted effort.
This blog gives you a simple, practical, repeatable method to collect requirements correctly—using a real example from a service marketplace app. By the end, you will know how to turn raw feedback into needs → capabilities → features → user flows.
Example We Will Use Throughout This Blog
Imagine you are a Junior Product Manager working on a service marketplace app where users can:
- Register companies
- Renew licenses
- Request PRO services
- Complete government paperwork
Users constantly complain:
“I don’t know which service to choose… everything looks similar.”
Your goal is to transform this vague complaint into a structured requirement, a clear feature, and a complete user flow.
Step 1: Prepare Your Requirements Document
Before interviewing anyone, create a document with these sections:
Requirements Structure
- User Segments
- Pain Points
- Goals
- Current Behavior
- Evidence (Data)
- Feature Ideas
This structure keeps everything organized and consistent.
Step 2: Collect Raw Requirements from 4 Sources
To understand the real user problem, collect insights from multiple perspectives, not just users.
2.1 Stakeholder Interviews
Stakeholders include:
Operations, Customer Support, Sales, the Founder, etc.
Ask:
- “Where do users get confused?”
- “What complaints do you hear most often?”
- “Can you give me a real example from last week?”
Example
Customer Support says:
“Users call us every day asking which service they should choose to open a free-zone company.”
Record:
- Segment → New entrepreneurs
- Pain Point → “I don’t know which service fits my case.”
- Behavior → Users call support
- Evidence → 12 calls/day
2.2 User Interviews
Ask simple, open-ended questions:
- “What were you trying to do?”
- “Where exactly did you get confused?”
- “What did you do next?”
- “If you had a magic button, what would it do?”
Example Response:
“There were six similar services. I was scared to choose the wrong one and lose money.”
2.3 Analytics
You don’t need advanced dashboard skills. Just ask:
- “Where do users drop off?”
- “What’s the abandonment percentage on the service list?”
Example:
55% drop on the “Choose Your Service” screen.
Add this as evidence.
2.4 Competitor Scan
Look for:
- Whether competitors use guided flows
- How they categorize services
- Whether they ask questions first
You’re not copying, only observing patterns.
Step 3: Clean and Organize Raw Data
Now turn messy notes into structured insights.
Rewrite Pain Points as Clear User Needs
Before:
“Everything looks similar… I’m afraid to choose the wrong one.”
After:
User Need: “I need the app to guide me to the correct service without risk.”
This becomes the foundation for features later.
Group Similar Needs Into Clusters
Example Cluster:
Cluster Name: Service Selection Confusion
- Users can’t understand service names
- Fear of selecting the wrong service
- High support calls
- High drop-off on service list screen
This cluster becomes your Epic.
Step 4: Convert Needs → Capabilities → Features
Now we translate user needs into product solutions.
Define the Capability
From the user need:
“Guide me to the correct service.”
We produce a capability:
“Ask the user guided questions and filter services accordingly.”
Capabilities are solution directions, not UI designs.
Turn Capabilities Into Features
Two clear features emerge:
Feature 1: Service Selection Wizard
A guided step-by-step process that:
- Asks simple questions
- Filters services
- Suggests the best match
Feature 2: “Recommended for You” Badge
Highlights the best service option based on user answers.
Step 5: Create the User Flow (Full Example)
This is where everything comes together.
User Flow Steps
- User taps “Start a Company”
- User chooses location: Mainland / Free Zone / Not Sure
- If Free Zone → Ask whether the user knows which zone
- System filters services
- Display:
- Best Match
- Other Options
- User selects the service
- App displays required documents, fees, processing time
- User proceeds
This flow becomes the base for your wireframes, PRD, and User Stories.
Step 6: Validate the Flow
Validate with stakeholders:
- “Does this reflect real cases?”
Validate with users:
- “What would you expect here?”
This step prevents rework.
Senior PM Tips
- Ask about the problem, not the feature.
- A requirement is real if it is:
- Repeated
- Painful
- Verifiable
- Write “What we are NOT doing” to protect the MVP.
- Always draw flows before UI.
Conclusion
If you follow this process, you will go from confusion → clarity:
Pain Points → Needs → Capabilities → Features → User Flows → PRD → User Stories.
This is the foundation of strong product management.