# altitude-horizon-framework

A reference skill that separates Director thinking from PM thinking on two axes: how wide you zoom out, how far ahead you look. Useful when the title changed and the work still feels like the old job.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2600 installs · ★ 7673
- Author: deanpeters
- License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/HEAD/skills/altitude-horizon-framework/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-16
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/altitude-horizon-framework

## What it does

Two axes carry the whole model. Altitude is how wide you zoom out, from a single feature up to a product portfolio and its budget. Horizon is how far ahead you look, from the current sprint to an annual planning cycle. The author is blunt that this is no seniority ladder: a PM at PM altitude is doing the job well, while a Director at PM altitude has left the real job undone.

Then come four transition zones: thinking altitude, a persona shift from end users to buyers and stakeholders, recovery from hero syndrome, and creating direction instead of waiting for it. Each zone ships with named failure modes, among them hero syndrome, an allergy to process, people-pleasing leadership and the instant gratification trap. A waiter-versus-restaurant-operator table makes the shift in success metrics concrete.

Nothing to run. It reads in about 10–15 min, has no scripts or dependencies, and produces no artifacts; you get vocabulary for a diagnosis, not an action plan. When you want guided coaching rather than a model to read, the author suggests pairing it with `director-readiness-advisor`. If direction from above is vague, the framework points you to the Cascading Context Map.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill altitude-horizon-framework -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/altitude-horizon-framework/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/altitude-horizon-framework/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill altitude-horizon-framework -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/altitude-horizon-framework/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill altitude-horizon-framework -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/altitude-horizon-framework/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills altitude-horizon-framework
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/altitude-horizon-framework/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill altitude-horizon-framework -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --path skills/altitude-horizon-framework
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/altitude-horizon-framework/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills --skill altitude-horizon-framework -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/deanpeters/Product-Manager-Skills/tree/HEAD/skills/altitude-horizon-framework/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- Diagnose which transition zone is causing the friction
- Explain what actually changes between PM and Director work
- Turn a vague company strategy into team-level context
- Spot your own failure mode: hero syndrome, process allergy, people-pleasing
- Decide which questions belong at Director altitude

## Example prompts
- Run altitude-horizon-framework on my case: senior PM, two extra teams on my plate, stuck in delivery detail.
- Use altitude-horizon-framework to tell me which transition zone I keep slipping back into.
- Build a Cascading Context Map with altitude-horizon-framework: strategy from above is vague and my team needs context.

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From the same set: [deanpeters/product-manager-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/deanpeters/product-manager-skills.md) — 69 cards

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