Methods
Product Discovery
Deciding which problems are worth solving with software, for whom and in what order, before committing to how the software will be built.
Part of Digital Strategy & Discovery
Product Discovery is the work of deciding which problems are worth solving, for whom, and in what order. It runs before development and continues alongside it. The output is a set of scope decisions with the reasons behind them.
Where it fits
At the start of a new product or a major addition to an existing one. Feature lists tend to grow, because each stakeholder adds to them and nobody removes anything. Discovery asks which items would change something measurable, so that others can be cut or deferred with a stated reason.
Its limits
Some questions can only be answered once real users have the software, so discovery continues in a lighter form after the first release. It also needs someone on the client side with the authority to cut scope.
How we use it
We talk to the people who do the work, look at how the current system is used, size the problem before the solution, and test the riskiest assumption first. For each proposed feature we write down what would have to be true for it to be worth building, then check it. Changes cost least at this stage, and a common result is a smaller first release than the one originally planned.
Related
Digital Transformation Consulting, UX/UI Design & User Research, Tailor-made Software Development