10 Idea Frameworks | 매거진에 참여하세요

Having Trouble Structuring Your Ideas?

We’ve all had a brilliant idea flash through our minds—only to lose the moment because we couldn’t quite put it into words.
In planning, startups, marketing, content creation, and many other fields, a well-structured and clearly communicated idea is essential for actual execution.

That’s where idea structuring frameworks come in handy.

One of the most powerful, yet simple, formats is:
“To solve A, we do B in order to achieve C.”

Let’s explore several frameworks that allow you to neatly condense ideas into a single sentence with clear reasoning and justification.

3-Stage Structures

1. Problem – Solution – Outcome

Format:
To solve A (problem), we do B (solution) to achieve C (result).

This is the most intuitive framework, commonly used in startup pitches, planning documents, and product descriptions.

• - Example:
  To solve job seekers' anxiety, we provide mentorship services from professionals to offer practical advice and build confidence.

• - Strength: Simple and effective for communication

• - Use Cases: Startup pitches, slogans, product descriptions

2. FAB (Feature – Advantage – Benefit)

What is the feature, what advantage does it offer, and what benefit does the user gain?

• - Example:
  The auto email summarizer (Feature) → saves reading time (Advantage) → helping users better manage their information load (Benefit)

• - Strength: Great for product-focused descriptions

• - Use Cases: Marketing, sales, content presentation

3. JTBD (Jobs To Be Done)

What "job" is the customer hiring this product to do?

• - Format:
  In situation A, to solve problem B, the user uses tool/service C.

• - Example:
  Office workers subscribe to a 3-line summary newsletter on their morning commute to quickly catch up on the latest news.

• - Strength: Deep insight from a user-centered perspective

• - Use Cases: Service planning, UX design, marketing strategy

4. XYZ Pitch

Optimized for introducing startups.

• - Format:
  We help X (target user) do Y (task) by Z (solution).

• - Example:
  We help college students explore careers by connecting them to industry professionals through a 1:1 platform.

• - Strength: Instantly conveys who it's for and what it does

• - Use Cases: Elevator pitches, slogans, business intros

5. Pain – Insight – Solution

Goes beyond listing problems by identifying hidden causes (insights) and connecting them to solutions.

• - Format:
  People suffer due to A.
  The root cause is actually B.
  We solve this with C.

• - Example:
  Many worry about careers but avoid counseling.
  Because they don’t know who to ask.
  We solve this through a 1:1 mentor matching service.

• - Strength: Combines persuasiveness with insight

• - Use Cases: Reports, proposals, investor decks

4-Stage Frameworks

6. Problem – Cause – Solution – Benefit

This structure goes beyond linear thinking to identify root causes and tailor solutions accordingly.

• - Problem: The apparent symptom or issue

• - Cause: Underlying reasons or context

• - Solution: Strategy targeting the cause

• - Benefit: Anticipated positive outcomes

Example:
- Problem: User drop-off from the content feed has increased by 15%.
- Cause: The AI algorithm shows irrelevant content, causing overload.
- Solution: Improve personalization and filtering.
- Benefit: Higher content relevance → longer engagement time (estimated 20%↑), better satisfaction, improved subscription rates.

7. Situation – Complication – Resolution – Result

Inspired by McKinsey’s SCQA model, widely used in consulting for logical storytelling.

• - Situation: The current observed state

• - Complication: Emerging problem or challenge

• - Resolution: The proposed fix

• - Result: Post-resolution benefits

Example:
- Situation: 70% of students haven’t decided on careers by graduation.
- Complication: Counseling is too theoretical and not personalized.
- Resolution: 1:1 mentoring platform with real professionals.
- Result: Satisfaction rose (25%→88%), career decision rates improved, referrals increased.

8. What – So What – Now What – Then What

This reflection-driven framework is ideal for workshops, meetings, or strategy sessions.

• - What: Objective observations

• - So What: Significance of the data

• - Now What: Actions to take next

• - Then What: Anticipated changes

Example:
- What: Real-time feedback requests dropped by 40% over 3 months.
- So What: Reduced feedback = stalled work, unclear goals, mistrust.
- Now What: Introduce a feedback tool + dedicate 5 mins in weekly meetings.
- Then What: Improved communication, leadership growth, deeper engagement

5-Stage Frameworks

9. Problem – Insight – Idea – Action – Impact

Not just about solving problems, but gaining insight and turning it into action with tangible outcomes.

Used frequently in brainstorming, design thinking, and product planning.

• - Problem: The user's pain point

• - Insight: Hidden or underlying cause

• - Idea: Creative solution

• - Action: Specific features or activities

• - Impact: Resulting change or effect

• Example:
  - Problem: Team productivity down 20% in 3 months
  - Insight: Not just low motivation, but repetitive work and lack of feedback
  - Idea: Break work into daily missions with instant feedback
  - Action: Add “Daily Mission” feature to task manager + auto-feedback from leaders
  - Impact: 33% productivity boost, 92% satisfaction in daily reports

10. Context – Problem – Solution – Implementation – Outcome

Widely used in proposals and planning documents. Presents a complete logical flow.

• - Context: Background or market environment

• - Problem: Key challenge within that context

• - Solution: Strategy to solve it

• - Implementation: Specific plans and steps

• - Outcome: Projected results and ripple effects

Example:
- Context: High churn in competitive B2B SaaS market
- Problem: New users fail onboarding → leave early
- Solution: 7-day onboarding scenario + feature suggestions in first 3 days
- Implementation: Behavioral triggers, tutorials, automated welcome emails
- Outcome: Onboarding completion up (52%→81%), churn down 26%, potential conversion boost

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