# Analytical Thinking > Distilled from [[Analytical]] ## When to use Activate when structuring problem analysis, defining metrics, building consensus through data, or evaluating whether a PM is using rigorous analytical methods. ## Rubric — five analytical capabilities 1. **Identify, analyze, and solve problems in an organized way.** Use structured frameworks: CIRCLES (Comprehend, Identify, Report, Customers, List solutions, Evaluate trade-offs, Summarize), STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results), or BUS (Business objectives, User problems, Solutions). 2. **Offer more than one way to tackle a problem.** Evaluate solutions against each other and decide which to pursue. Watch for Hick's Law: more choices increase decision time logarithmically — bound the option set. 3. **Leverage analytical methods to build consensus.** In ambiguous situations with diverse stakeholders, use data and structured analysis to find common ground. Watch for Frequency Illusion (Baader-Meinhof) — don't mistake visibility for prevalence. 4. **Provide multiple topline success metrics.** Use the Pirate Funnel (AAARRR): Awareness, Acquisition, Activation, Revenue, Retention, Referral. Decompose general metrics into specifics. 5. **Tie metrics to goals and outcomes.** Avoid Goodhart's Law: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure." Metrics should illuminate progress, not become the objective. ## Actions - When a PM presents a recommendation, ask: what other options were considered and why were they rejected? - When reviewing metrics, check: are these leading indicators or lagging? Are they tied to customer outcomes or internal vanity? - When structuring any analysis, name the framework being used explicitly.