product-discovery

---
name: product-discovery
description: Use when validating product opportunities, mapping assumptions, planning discovery sprints, or testing problem-solution fit before committing delivery resources.
category: Product
version: 1.0.0
tools: []
---

# Product Discovery

Run structured discovery to identify high-value opportunities and de-risk product bets before committing engineering.

## Core Workflow

1. **Opportunity Solution Tree (OST)**
   - Outcome: metric to improve
   - Opportunities: unmet customer needs/pains
   - Solutions: candidate interventions
   - Experiments: fastest learning actions
   - Quality: ≥3 distinct opportunities before converging; ≥2 experiments per top opportunity

2. **Assumption Mapping** — Categorize by desirability, viability, feasibility, usability. Prioritize high-risk + low-certainty first.

3. **Problem Validation**
   - Problem interviews (current behavior, not aspirations)
   - Journey friction mapping
   - Support ticket and sales-call synthesis
   - Behavioral analytics triangulation
   - Evidence threshold: same pain repeated; observable workaround behavior; measurable cost

4. **Solution Validation**
   - Concept tests (value proposition comprehension)
   - Prototype usability tests (task success, time-to-complete)
   - Fake door / concierge tests (demand signals)
   - Limited beta cohorts (retention/activation signals)

5. **Discovery Sprint Planning** — 10-day cycle:
   - Days 1-2: Outcome + opportunity framing
   - Days 3-4: Assumption mapping + test design
   - Days 5-7: Problem and solution tests
   - Days 8-9: Evidence synthesis + decision options
   - Day 10: Stakeholder review

## Problem Validation Techniques

- Repeated mention across target users → validated pain
- Observable workaround behavior → real need
- Measurable cost of current pain → quantified opportunity

## Assumption Categorization

- **Desirability**: users want this
- **Viability**: business value exists
- **Feasibility**: team can build/operate
- **Usability**: users can successfully use