I published a post before about how I used the CIRCLES framework to fix my stalled Substack growth. It worked surprisingly well.
So, what is CIRCLES?
In product design, there is a well-known framework called CIRCLES. It was popularized by Lewis C. Lin in Decode and Conquer. It is designed to tackle ambiguous problems, especially when you do not even know where the real issue is coming from.
CIRCLES stands for: Comprehend the situation; identify the customer; report the customer’s needs; cut, through prioritisation; list solutions; evaluate tradeoffs, and summarize your recommendation.
CIRCLES is probably my single favourite framework, and I use it everywhere.
The hardest part of building anything is always the beginning, especially when your brain is still foggy and everything feels unclear. A framework gives me a way to start. It helps me surface what is hidden, organise the mess, and turn something vague into something I can actually work with.
To begin with, I want to use my friend Darsh…
