--- name: journey-map description: Create user journey maps and customer journey maps (dual mode) disable-model-invocation: false --- # Journey Map Skill Map user experiences and customer lifecycles. Use two modes: User-focused (touchpoints, emotions, pain points) and Business-focused (full lifecycle, revenue metrics, cross-functional). ## When to Use This Skill **User Journey Mapping:** - Understanding how users experience your product - Identifying friction points in user flows - Designing better onboarding or core experiences - Aligning team around user perspective **Customer Journey Mapping:** - Planning go-to-market strategy - Optimizing sales and success processes - Understanding full customer lifecycle (awareness → retention) - Cross-functional alignment (marketing, sales, product, support) ## Two Modes ### Mode 1: User Journey Map **Focus:** How users interact with your product **Scope:** Single feature or product experience **Audience:** Product, design, engineering teams **Duration:** Covers minutes to weeks ### Mode 2: Customer Journey Map **Focus:** How customers move through business relationship **Scope:** Full lifecycle from awareness to advocacy **Audience:** GTM teams (marketing, sales, CS) + product **Duration:** Covers months to years ## Workflow ### Step 1: Choose Mode Ask the PM: ``` Which type of journey map do you need? 1. **User Journey Map** - Maps: Product experience (onboarding, key workflow, feature usage) - Focus: Touchpoints, emotions, pain points, opportunities - Example: "User onboarding journey" or "Checkout flow journey" 2. **Customer Journey Map** - Maps: Full business relationship (awareness → expansion) - Focus: Lifecycle stages, revenue metrics, cross-functional handoffs - Example: "Enterprise customer journey" or "Self-serve PLG journey" Your choice: [1 or 2] ``` --- ## MODE 1: User Journey Map ### Step 2A: Define Journey Scope ``` Journey Name: [e.g., "New user onboarding"] User Persona: [Who is this journey for?] - [Persona name/type] - [Key characteristics] - [Goals/motivations] Journey Goal: [What is the user trying to accomplish?] - [Primary goal] Time Span: [How long does this journey take?] - [Minutes/Hours/Days/Weeks] Entry Point: [Where does journey start?] - [Starting point] Exit Point: [Where does journey end?] - [Ending point - success state] ``` ### Step 3A: Map Journey Phases Break journey into 3-7 phases: ``` ## Journey Phases 1. **[Phase 1 Name]** (e.g., "Awareness") - Duration: [Time in this phase] - User goal: [What they're trying to do] 2. **[Phase 2 Name]** (e.g., "Signup") - Duration: [Time in this phase] - User goal: [What they're trying to do] 3. **[Phase 3 Name]** (e.g., "First Use") - Duration: [Time in this phase] - User goal: [What they're trying to do] [Continue for all phases...] ``` ### Step 4A: Detail Each Phase For each phase, document: ``` ### Phase: [Phase Name] #### Touchpoints [Every interaction user has with product] - [Touchpoint 1: e.g., "Landing page"] - [Touchpoint 2: e.g., "Signup form"] - [Touchpoint 3: e.g., "Email confirmation"] #### User Actions [What user does] - [Action 1: e.g., "Clicks 'Sign Up'"] - [Action 2: e.g., "Enters email and password"] - [Action 3: e.g., "Checks email for confirmation"] #### User Thoughts [What they're thinking] - "[Thought 1: e.g., 'Is this worth my time?']" - "[Thought 2: e.g., 'Will this be complicated?']" #### Emotions [How they feel - use emoji + description] - 😐 Neutral: [Description] - 😟 Frustrated: [Description] - 😊 Satisfied: [Description] #### Pain Points 🔴 [Critical pain]: [Description] 🟡 [Moderate pain]: [Description] 🟢 [Minor annoyance]: [Description] #### Opportunities 💡 [Improvement 1]: [What we could do better] 💡 [Improvement 2]: [What we could do better] #### Metrics - [Metric 1: e.g., "Conversion rate: 45%"] - [Metric 2: e.g., "Time to complete: 3.2 minutes"] ``` ### Output Format (User Journey Map) ```markdown # User Journey Map: [Journey Name] **Persona:** [User type] **Goal:** [What they want to accomplish] **Duration:** [Time span] --- ## Journey Overview [Entry Point] → [Phase 1] → [Phase 2] → [Phase 3] → ... → [Success State] --- ## Phase 1: [Phase Name] **Duration:** [Time] | **Goal:** [User objective] | Element | Details | | ----------------- | ---------------------------------------- | | **Touchpoints** | [List touchpoints] | | **Actions** | [User actions] | | **Thoughts** | [What they think] | | **Emotions** | 😐 Neutral → 😟 Frustrated | | **Pains** | 🔴 [Critical pain]
🟡 [Moderate pain] | | **Opportunities** | 💡 [Improvement 1]
💡 [Improvement 2] | | **Metrics** | [Key metrics for this phase] | --- [Repeat for each phase] --- ## Summary ### Biggest Pain Points 1. 🔴 [Critical pain 1] - In [Phase X] 2. 🔴 [Critical pain 2] - In [Phase Y] 3. 🟡 [Moderate pain 3] - In [Phase Z] ### Top Opportunities 1. 💡 [Opportunity 1] - Would improve [metric/experience] 2. 💡 [Opportunity 2] - Would improve [metric/experience] 3. 💡 [Opportunity 3] - Would improve [metric/experience] ### Emotional Journey ``` 😊 Excited → 😐 Neutral → 😟 Frustrated → 🤔 Confused → 😊 Satisfied [Phase 1] [Phase 2] [Phase 3] [Phase 4] [Phase 5] ``` ### Next Steps - [ ] [Action 1: e.g., "Simplify signup form"] - [ ] [Action 2: e.g., "Add progress indicator to onboarding"] - [ ] [Action 3: e.g., "Reduce time to first value"] ``` --- ## MODE 2: Customer Journey Map ### Step 2B: Define Customer Lifecycle ``` Customer Type: [e.g., "Enterprise B2B customer"] - [Segment details] - [Typical company size/industry] Journey Scope: [Full lifecycle or specific segment?] - [E.g., "Awareness through first renewal"] Business Model: [How do customers buy/use product?] - [Sales-led / Product-led / Hybrid] - [Contract length: Monthly/Annual/Multi-year] Revenue Model: [How do we make money?] - [Subscription / Usage-based / Hybrid] ``` ### Step 3B: Map Lifecycle Stages Typical B2B SaaS stages: ``` ## Lifecycle Stages 1. **Awareness** (Pre-customer) - How they discover us 2. **Consideration** (Pre-customer) - Evaluating alternatives 3. **Purchase** (Conversion) - Becoming a customer 4. **Onboarding** (Early customer) - Getting set up 5. **Adoption** (Active customer) - Using product regularly 6. **Expansion** (Growth) - Upgrading, adding seats/features 7. **Renewal** (Retention) - Staying vs churning 8. **Advocacy** (Champion) - Referring others, case studies ``` ### Step 4B: Detail Each Stage For each stage, document: ``` ### Stage: [Stage Name] #### Timeframe [How long customers typically spend in this stage] - Average: [X days/weeks/months] #### Customer Goals [What customer wants to achieve] - [Goal 1] - [Goal 2] #### Company Goals [What we want to achieve] - [Goal 1: e.g., "Convert 30% to paid"] - [Goal 2: e.g., "Time to value < 7 days"] #### Key Touchpoints [Every interaction customer has with company] - [Touchpoint 1: e.g., "Website visit"] - [Touchpoint 2: e.g., "Sales demo"] - [Touchpoint 3: e.g., "Email nurture sequence"] #### Responsible Teams [Who owns this stage] - Primary: [Team name] - Supporting: [Other teams] #### Key Activities [What happens in this stage] - [Activity 1] - [Activity 2] - [Activity 3] #### Pain Points 🔴 [Critical friction]: [Description] 🟡 [Moderate friction]: [Description] #### Success Metrics - [Metric 1: e.g., "Trial-to-paid conversion: 25%"] - [Metric 2: e.g., "Time to first value: 5 days"] #### Revenue Impact - MRR/ARR contribution: [$ or %] - Conversion rate: [%] - Churn risk: [High/Med/Low] ``` ### Step 5B: Map Cross-Functional Handoffs Identify where responsibility transfers: ``` ## Key Handoffs **Marketing → Sales** - Trigger: [When leads are qualified] - Handoff process: [How it happens] - Common issues: [What breaks] **Sales → Customer Success** - Trigger: [When deal closes] - Handoff process: [How it happens] - Common issues: [What breaks] **Customer Success → Product** - Trigger: [When customer is self-sufficient] - Handoff process: [How it happens] - Common issues: [What breaks] ``` ### Output Format (Customer Journey Map) ```markdown # Customer Journey Map: [Customer Type] **Segment:** [Customer segment] **Business Model:** [Sales-led/Product-led/Hybrid] **Journey Duration:** [Typical customer lifecycle length] --- ## Lifecycle Overview ``` Awareness → Consideration → Purchase → Onboarding → Adoption → Expansion → Renewal → Advocacy [Marketing] [Marketing] [Sales] [CS] [CS/Product] [Sales/CS] [CS] [Marketing] ``` --- ## Stage 1: [Stage Name] **Timeframe:** [Duration] | **Owner:** [Primary team] | Element | Details | |---------|---------| | **Customer Goals** | [What customer wants] | | **Company Goals** | [What we want] | | **Touchpoints** | [List all interactions] | | **Key Activities** | [What happens] | | **Pain Points** | 🔴 [Critical]
🟡 [Moderate] | | **Metrics** | [Success metrics] | | **Revenue Impact** | [MRR/ARR contribution] | **Handoff to next stage:** [How/when transition happens] --- [Repeat for each stage] --- ## Summary ### Conversion Funnel ``` | Stage | Volume | Conversion | Time | | ------------- | ------ | ---------- | ---------- | | Awareness | 10,000 | - | - | | Consideration | 1,000 | 10% | 2 weeks | | Purchase | 200 | 20% | 1 week | | Onboarding | 200 | 100% | 2 weeks | | Adoption | 150 | 75% | 1 month | | Expansion | 60 | 40% | 6 months | | Renewal | 180 | 90% | 12 months | | Advocacy | 30 | 17% | 18+ months | ``` ### Critical Pain Points by Stage 1. **[Stage]:** 🔴 [Pain] - Causes [X% drop-off] 2. **[Stage]:** 🔴 [Pain] - Adds [X days to cycle] 3. **[Stage]:** 🟡 [Pain] - Reduces [satisfaction score] ### Revenue Optimization Opportunities 1. **[Opportunity 1]** - Could improve [metric] by [X%] - Stage impacted: [Stage] - Investment: [Low/Med/High] - Expected impact: [Revenue/retention gain] 2. **[Opportunity 2]** - Could improve [metric] by [X%] - Stage impacted: [Stage] - Investment: [Low/Med/High] - Expected impact: [Revenue/retention gain] ### Cross-Functional Issues - **[Handoff 1]:** [Problem and impact] - **[Handoff 2]:** [Problem and impact] ### Next Steps - [ ] [Action 1: Owned by [Team]] - [ ] [Action 2: Owned by [Team]] - [ ] [Action 3: Owned by [Team]] ``` --- ## Visual Representation Tips Journey maps are often visual. If creating slides/diagrams: **User Journey Map Visual:** ``` Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 ──────────────────────────────────────────────── Actions: [Icons/steps in each phase] Emotions: 😊 → 😐 → 😟 → 😊 (line graph) Touchpoints: [Product screens, emails, etc.] Pains: 🔴🟡 markers at friction points Ideas: 💡 markers for opportunities ``` **Customer Journey Map Visual:** ``` Timeline: [Months 1-12+] Stages: Awareness → Consideration → Purchase → ... Teams: Marketing → Sales → CS → Product Metrics: [Conversion rates between stages] Revenue: [MRR/ARR progression over time] ``` ## Pro Tips 1. **Use real data:** Don't guess - use analytics, interviews, support tickets 2. **Emotion matters:** The feeling is as important as the function 3. **Quantify pain:** "45% of users drop off here" > "users get stuck" 4. **One persona at a time:** Different users = different journeys 5. **Update regularly:** Journeys change as product evolves 6. **Workshop format:** Best created collaboratively with cross-functional team 7. **Prioritize ruthlessly:** Can't fix everything - focus on biggest impact ## Common Mistakes to Avoid ❌ Too many phases (10+ is overwhelming) ✅ 3-7 phases that map to real stages ❌ Company perspective only (what we want) ✅ Customer perspective first (what they experience) ❌ Happy path only (ignoring failures) ✅ Include drop-offs, errors, frustrations ❌ No metrics (purely qualitative) ✅ Quantify: conversion rates, time, sentiment scores ❌ One-time exercise (never referenced again) ✅ Living document, updated quarterly ## Integration with Other Skills **Feeds into:** - `/prd-draft` - Inform feature specs with journey insights - `/write-prod-strategy` - User/customer understanding in strategy - `/activation-analysis` - Setup → Aha → Habit maps to journey phases - `/retention-analysis` - Journey reveals retention drivers **Requires:** - User research (interviews, surveys) - Analytics data (funnel metrics, behavior) - Support data (common issues, friction points) ## Questions to Ask Before Starting 1. **Scope:** Single feature flow or full customer lifecycle? 2. **Persona:** Which user/customer type are we mapping? 3. **Data sources:** What research/analytics inform this map? 4. **Audience:** Who will use this journey map? 5. **Decisions:** What product/business decisions will this inform? Remember: Journey maps are tools for empathy and alignment. A good journey map makes the team feel what the customer feels - and act on it. --- ## Context Routing Strategy When the PM uses `/journey-map`, I automatically: ### 1. Pull User Research for Personas & Pain Points **Source:** `thoughts/shared/pm/research/`, user research MCPs (research repository, UserTesting) - **What I look for:** User personas, quotes, pain points, behavior patterns - **How I use it:** Pre-populate persona sections with real research data - **Example:** Auto-pull quotes from interviews: "I always get stuck at the checkout step" ### 2. Extract Relevant Metrics & Analytics **Source:** PostHog, PostHog, Posthog (if connected), `thoughts/shared/pm/metrics/` - **What I look for:** Conversion rates, drop-off points, time-in-flow metrics - **How I use it:** Quantify pain points with actual data - **Example:** "Phase 3 has a 45% drop-off rate (vs 12% in Phase 2)" ### 3. Align With Strategy & OKRs **Source:** `thoughts/shared/pm/frameworks/`, PRDs - **What I look for:** Current strategic focus, activation goals, retention goals - **How I use it:** Suggest which journey phases matter most for strategy - **Example:** "Since we're focused on retention, let's emphasize the habit-formation phase" ### 4. Cross-Reference Customer Lifecycle **Source:** Sales/CS data, past customer journey maps in `thoughts/shared/pm/` - **What I look for:** Typical customer progression, expansion patterns - **How I use it:** Build customer journey map that aligns with business model - **Example:** For PLG model, include activation → expansion → advocacy phases ### 5. Identify Cross-Functional Stakeholders **Source:** `thoughts/shared/pm/context/stakeholder-template.md` - **What I look for:** Who owns different journey phases (sales, product, CS, success) - **How I use it:** Suggest who to involve in journey mapping workshop - **Example:** "Phase 3 (onboarding) involves Product + CS, should workshop together" ### 6. Route for Action **Routing logic:** - **User journey map:** Feeds into `/prd-draft` and design decisions - **Customer journey map:** Feeds into GTM strategy and `/write-prod-strategy` - **Activation journey:** Maps to `/activation-analysis` framework - **Retention journey:** Maps to `/retention-analysis` cohorts --- ## Output Quality Self-Check Before presenting output to the PM, verify: - [ ] **File saved to correct location:** Output saved to `thoughts/shared/pm/journey-maps/[journey-name]-[date].md` - [ ] **Context routing table was checked:** Reviewed `thoughts/shared/pm/research/` for user research, interview transcripts, and persona data before building the map - [ ] **Every stage has all four elements:** Each journey phase includes actions, thoughts, emotions, and pain points (no empty or missing sections) - [ ] **User quotes from research included:** Where available, real user quotes from `thoughts/shared/pm/research/` are embedded in relevant journey stages (not fabricated quotes) - [ ] **Opportunities linked to specific product improvements:** Each opportunity names a concrete product change (e.g., "add progress bar to onboarding step 3"), not generic advice like "improve the experience" - [ ] **Emotional journey shows highs and lows:** The emotional arc across stages is not flat; it includes at least one high point and one low point with explanations for the shifts