The CIRCLES Method for Product Management

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we break down one of the most popular product interview frameworks: the CIRCLES Method.

From Comprehend the situation to Summarize your recommendation, we’ll walk through each of the seven steps that make up this structured approach to solving product design challenges — and show you how to make it your own. We’ll also discuss how CIRCLES can be flexed into a simpler 3-step model when you’re under time pressure or tackling messy real-world problems.

Beyond interviews, we explore how CIRCLES can help you align teams, prioritize solutions, and stay focused on both user needs and business impact — as long as you’re mindful of its assumptions and limitations.

Whether you're prepping for a PM interview or facilitating your next product workshop, this episode gives you a practical toolkit to think clearly and deliver confidently.