The phrase 5 Ws and H refer to the six fundamental questions to ask while collecting information or addressing an issue. The following are the questions:
- Who?
- What?
- Where?
- When?
- Why?
- How?
The purpose of this strategy is to get a correct response to each question. Answers to all six questions should provide clarity to whatever the questioner is attempting to find, whether it is the solution to a problem, the solution to a riddle, or even the best approach to construct a product.
Where Do the 5 Ws and H Come From?
The 5 Ws and H method of information collection began as a tool to assist journalists in writing their articles. Newspaper editors generally agree that reporters should answer all six of these questions in the first paragraph of their news pieces.
Despite its widespread use in various fields, we refer to the 5 Ws and H approach as “the reporter’s inquiries.”
Many journalists feel that a writer has all they need to produce an accurate and captivating article if they know the answers to the 5 Ws and H. Consider a criminal reporter who is investigating a local homicide. The reporter would utilise the 5 Ws and H method to answer the following questions:
1-What exactly was the crime?
2-When and where did it take place? (Does the time or location of the crime give any more clues or insights into the crime itself?)
3- How did it happen? (What technique did the murderer employ? What happened to the murder weapon? What additional information do we have regarding the crime?)
4- What motivated the murderer? (Did the murderer have a reasonable motivation, such as a desire to profit from the crime? Or was it illogical, like a serial killer’s act?)
5-Who was responsible? (The answers to the preceding questions will boost the reporter’s chances of discovering the last piece of the puzzle: who was responsible?)
As you may have seen, this strategy employs the same rigorous fact-finding approach that police use to solve crimes. The 5 Ws and H method is also used by law enforcement.
When Should Product Managers Use the Ws and H Technique?
The 5 Ws and H method may help product managers achieve insight on a variety of difficulties. As an example,
Developing a Product Roadmap:
1- Who are we attempting to assist with this product? (The user persona.)
2- What is the vision for our product? (Overarching concept for our product’s expected effect.)
3- Where do we begin? (Rank main themes and epics in order of importance.)
4- Why will we be successful? (High-level mission and strategy for the product.)
5- How will we go about it? (Assigning resources, creating timelines, and establishing budgets.)
6- When should we go live? (Determining the best strategically favourable but practical market-release period.)
Product managers may use the 5 Ws and H method to organise their thoughts and planning in a logical, systematic manner. Furthermore, since it tackles all of the core questions to a complicated problem, this method helps guarantee that a product team does not overlook any important concerns before making strategic choices and plans for the product roadmap.
5 W’s and the H – Question Guide
- Who was involved?
- What happened?
- When did it happen?
- Where did it happen?
- Why did it happen?
- How did it happen?
