Product Discovery

Core Principles

• Product discovery is all about finding solutions to the business problems we are assigned in our objectives
• Our aim is to discover about the problem space — then we understand what the problem space is
• If you start with a solution in your mind, there's no point in doing research

Discovery Process

Kick-off Workshop

• Steps: onboard team (roles, responsibilities) → agree on norms → define problem statement → set goal → identify and prioritize unknowns
• Create a research plan to tackle the unknowns

Discovery Approaches

Outcome-Driven Discovery (from Outcomes over Output)

• Focus on outcomes (behavior changes) rather than outputs (features)
• The 3 magic questions:
  1. What are the user/customer actions that drive business results?
  2. How can we make people do more of these actions?
  3. How do we know that we're right?
• Manage a list of hypotheses with expected metrics, not features with deadlines
• Example reframe: "IDP redesign" → "boost sales by 10% from IDP"

Continuous Discovery

• Regular customer feedback gathering integrated into product development
• Reduces the risk of bad decisions
• Involves a mindset of ongoing learning and adapting

Research Methods

Discovery Interviewing (from The Mom Test)

• Be genuinely interested in the customer to open their hearts
• Don't mention your idea/solution too soon — focus on their problems first
• Ask "Talk me through the last time [problem] happened" to get concrete examples
• Beware of compliments and hypothetical statements ("would/could/might") — they're often fluff
• Plan the three most important things you want to learn from each interview
• Look for customers who express emotion about their problems

Experimentation

Designing Experiments

• Operationalization: Converting general questions into specific measurable metrics
• Hypothesis formulation: Belief statement + evidence you'll look for to confirm/disprove
• Experiment types:
  • Information/interaction design: A/B testing, usability testing, eye-tracking
  • Service design: Service prototyping, customer journey testing
  • Behavioral design: Testing nudges, default options, CTAs

Evaluating Experiments

• Combine qualitative (WHY) and quantitative (WHAT) data
• Consider statistical validity
• Document and share findings

Related Notes

• Outcomes over Output
• The Mom Test
• Qualitative Research