Empathy Map

Target Persona: Product Manager in Tech · Alex (28 years old, 3 years of experience)
Date: 2026-08-30
Analyst: User Research Team
Context: We are developing a productivity tool for product managers, hoping to deeply understand the real needs and pain points of target users through an empathy map

---

Dimension	Content
Thinks & Feels	Emotions, thoughts, things kept inside unspoken - What is truly important to them? - What are they worrying about? - What concerns and aspirations do they have? Fill-in area: - Worries that their product lacks real value, fears the stereotype that "product managers are just errand boys" - Aspires to build a product that users truly love, craving a sense of achievement - Often anxious: requirements keep changing, development is delayed again, boss is unhappy again - Wants to grow into a senior PM but doesn't know the path forward - Appears confident on the surface but constantly doubts themselves inside
Says & Does	Statements, actions, behaviors, etc. - What is their attitude toward others? - How do they behave in public? - What changes have occurred in their behavior? Fill-in area: - Always says "Let me double-check" and "We'll evaluate this" in meetings, appearing very cautious - Opens various data dashboards every day, checks data at least 5 times daily - Phone never leaves their hand, always replying to messages from devs and the boss - Acts decisively in front of the team but vents to friends privately - Only posts work-related content on social media, appearing very "professional"
Sees	Things they encounter in daily life, problems they face, people / products they interact with - How does their environment influence them? - What competitors do they see? - What are their friends doing? Fill-in area: - Follows "Everyone is a Product Manager" blog daily to see what peers are learning - Gets anxious seeing peers on social media switch to growth roles or start their own companies - Company's product data dashboard, competitor product update news - Attends industry salons, hears various "product methodologies" — feels more confused the more they listen - Colleagues are all working harder and leaving later; they don't dare leave either
Hears	Voices from people around them, news from media, etc. - What have friends, family, and other influential people said to them? - What impact does it have on them? Fill-in area: - Boss says "This requirement is urgent, must launch next week" - Dev says "This can't be done, there are technical difficulties" - Ops says "Users are complaining this feature is hard to use" - Family says "Why are you working late again? Take care of your health" - Industry media says "Product managers are dead; AI will replace them all"
Pains	Factors that become obstacles, risks, stress, fears, etc. - What fears, frustrations, or obstacles are they facing? Fill-in area: - Requirements change constantly, always catching up, feels like putting out fires nonstop - No decision-making power; one word from the boss means the plan has to change - Worries about the "35-year-old crisis," doesn't know what they can do long-term - Output is hard to quantify; doesn't know where their own value lies - Cross-department communication is exhausting; half the day is spent in meetings and arguing
Gains	Aspirations, desires, needs, self-defined standards of success, etc. - What do they hope to achieve? - What does success look like to them? Fill-in area: - Wants a tool that helps them boost efficiency and reduce repetitive work - Wants their work to be seen and recognized - Aspires to build an impactful product, become a "badass product manager" - Wants work-life balance, no more daily overtime - Wants a clear growth path, knows what the next step is

---

💡 Thought-Provoking Questions

Question 1	Question 2
What do you know about the target user?	What stimulates the target user's senses?
Alex is 28, 3 years of experience, internet product manager, earns around $3,000/month, works 10+ hours daily, feels strong anxiety, longs for growth	Data going up notifications, boss's praise, peer recognition, positive user reviews

Question 3	Question 4
Any information that doesn't appear in other people's lives?	Are there key people in the target persona's life?
"Product managers are dead" anxiety narratives, methodology FOMO, "35-year-old crisis" discussions — these aren't as prevalent in other professions	Direct supervisor (determines growth space), technical partner (determines delivery quality), users (determine product value)

---

📝 Insight Summary

Core insights:

1. The core pain point of product managers is not "not enough features" but rather "anxiety" and "lack of sense of value" — a tool should not only boost efficiency but also give them security and a sense of achievement
2. On the surface they say they need "better requirement management tools," but deep down they crave "recognition, growth, and freedom from anxiety"
3. They appear confident and professional externally but constantly doubt themselves internally — this is an important emotional entry point

User's most fundamental need:

A tool that lets product managers "increase efficiency AND reduce anxiety" — not just a functional tool, but a companion for career growth

Actionable directions:

• Add "achievement" elements to product design (e.g., task completion visualization, growth trajectory tracking)
• Shift marketing copy from "productivity tool" toward "product manager's growth partner"
• Add "career development" related content (not just tools, but also community and growth paths)

---

Quick Reference Card

Dimension	Core	Key Questions
Thinks & Feels	Inner world	What is truly important? What are they thinking?
Says & Does	External behavior	What do they say? What do they do?
Sees	Environment	What do they see? What influences them?
Hears	Information input	What do they hear? Who influences them?
Pains	Negative factors	What do they fear? What are the obstacles?
Gains	Positive expectations	What do they want? What does success look like?