You’ve investigated several problems.
Now you need to decide which of the 3 problems you investigated is actually worth pursuing?
The Problem Prioritization Matrix helps you move from these problems all seem interesting to this is the problem I should investigate and pursue first.
What is this toolkit about?
The Problem Prioritization Matrix is a decision-making tool for comparing the problems you’ve investigated and identifying the strongest opportunity.
It helps you prioritize based on evidence, not simply intuition or personal preference.
What problem does this toolkit solve?
After customer discovery, you have 3 problems still competing for your attention.
Without a clear prioritization process, you can easily choose the problem that:
Sounds most exciting
Matches your expertise best
You personally prefer
Has the loudest customer
Feels easiest to solve
The matrix helps you step back and ask:
Which problem has the strongest combination of customer value, evidence, and opportunity?
When should I use it?
Use this toolkit after customer discovery, when you have investigated multiple potential problems and have enough evidence to compare them.
Don’t use it before speaking to customers.
What will I have when I’m done using this toolkit?
You’ll have:
A ranked list of the problems you’ve investigated
A clear view of their relative strengths and weaknesses
Your highest-priority problem
The evidence behind your decision
A problem selected for deeper investigation and framing
How to use it
The Notion toolkit will guide you through:
1. List your 3 investigated problems
Bring forward the problems and evidence from your customer discovery for the 3 problems each.
2. Score each problem
Evaluate factors such as importance, frequency, urgency, consequences, existing alternatives, evidence of demand, and your ability to solve it.
3. Compare the results
Look at the scores alongside your actual customer evidence.
4. Select your priority problem
Choose the problem with the strongest overall opportunity, not simply the highest numerical score.
Use the matrix to support your judgment, not replace it.
The Toolkit
Problem Prioritization Matrix Notion Template
Use this Notion template to compare and rank your investigated problems.
👉 Open the Problem Prioritization Matrix
Duplicate the template into your Notion workspace before you begin.
Your Completed Output
When you’re finished, save:
- Your Ranked Problem List
The problems you’ve compared and prioritized. - Your Priority Problem
The problem you believe deserves the most attention. - Your Evidence
The customer evidence supporting your decision.
This becomes the problem you’ll take into the next stage.
What’s Next?
Problem Mapping
You’ve chosen the problem worth pursuing.
Now you need to understand it deeply and completely.
Before framing the problem or designing a solution, you’ll map:
Who experiences it
When and where it occurs
What triggers it
What makes it difficult
What people currently do
What consequences it creates
What they are trying to accomplish