Framework

After shipping a feature, ask:

  1. Did we ship on time? If delayed, what surprised us?
  2. Did the feature move the intended metric? If not, why?
  3. What assumptions in the PRD were wrong?
  4. What edge cases did we miss?
  5. What would we specify differently next time?

Document answers. Use them to improve future PRDs.

Example

Planned: Recommendations feature, 80% accuracy. Actual: Shipped 2 weeks late, accuracy 75%. Learning: We underestimated cold-start complexity. Next time, we'll spec cold-start handling separately + give it more time.

Actionable Steps

1. Schedule Retrospective 2 Weeks Post-Launch

(Enough time to see real data, recent enough to remember details)

2. Invite: PM, Engineering Lead, Design Lead

3. Document: Template with questions above

Key Takeaways

  • Retrospectives are where PM skill compounds. Each feature teaches you how to spec the next one better.
  • No blame, just learning. If you ship 6 features/year and improve 10% per feature, you're incomparably better in 2 years.