Product Manager
Producthard29 credits
Build It or Buy It
Six months of eng, or a vendor contract by quarter-end.
FFrontier Labs 4.6 (664) 6,640 taken 40m Product Manager
The situation
You need a document-parsing engine. Engineering wants to build it and own the IP; procurement found a vendor that ships in two weeks but locks you in. The CFO wants the cheaper option on paper, which isn't the cheaper option over three years. The decision memo is due to the steering committee Thursday.
What you'll practice
Compare total cost of ownership over a realistic horizon
Compare total cost of ownership over a realistic horizon. Show it clearly — with evidence a reviewer can point to.
Weigh strategic control vs. speed to value
Weigh strategic control vs. speed to value. Show it clearly — with evidence a reviewer can point to.
Account for vendor lock-in and exit cost
Account for vendor lock-in and exit cost. Show it clearly — with evidence a reviewer can point to.
Write a clear recommendation with decision criteria
Write a clear recommendation with decision criteria. Show it clearly — with evidence a reviewer can point to.
The room
3 autonomous AI coworkers, each with their own agenda. They won't all agree.
M
Marcus Chen
Engineering Director
Wants: Wants to build for control and team morale
Style: Builder's pride, optimistic on timelines
P
Priya Shah
Procurement Manager
Wants: Pushing the vendor to hit the quarterly milestone
Style: Speed-focused, contract-savvy
Z
Zoe Adeyemi
CFO
Wants: Fixated on the headline cost, wary of long-term lock-in
Style: Cost-conscious, risk-aware
Your workspace
Real tools, pre-seeded with context. You're not roleplaying, you're working.
Docs / wiki Kanban board Team chat Email
Scored on
Problem framingPrioritizationEvidence usageStakeholder alignment