discovery-process

SKILL.md

Structured discovery cycle from problem hypothesis to validated solution, orchestrating framing, interviews, synthesis, and experiments.

Guides product managers through six phases over 3–4 weeks: frame the problem, plan research, conduct customer interviews, synthesize insights, generate and validate solutions, and make go/no-go decisions

Emphasizes continuous discovery practice (1 interview per week) rather than one-time research projects, with decision points between phases to pivot or proceed

Includes anti-patterns and common pitfalls (leading questions, skipping interviews, analysis paralysis) to help teams avoid "build it and they will come" syndrome

Orchestrates 10+ component and interactive skills (problem framing canvas, discovery interview prep, opportunity solution tree, epic hypothesis, PRD development) into a structured workflow with clear outputs at each phase

Purpose

Guide product managers through a complete discovery cycle—from initial problem hypothesis to validated solution—by orchestrating problem framing, customer interviews, synthesis, and experimentation skills into a structured process. Use this to systematically explore problem spaces, validate assumptions, and build confidence before committing to full development—avoiding "build it and they will come" syndrome and ensuring you're solving real customer problems.

This is not a one-time research project—it's a continuous discovery practice that runs in parallel with delivery, typically 1-2 discovery cycles per quarter.

Key Concepts

What is the Discovery Process?

The discovery process (Teresa Torres, Marty Cagan) is a structured approach to exploring problem spaces and validating solutions before building. It consists of:

Frame the Problem — Define what you're investigating and why

Conduct Research — Gather qualitative and quantitative evidence

Synthesize Insights — Identify patterns, pain points, and opportunities

Generate Solutions — Explore multiple solution options

Validate Solutions — Test assumptions through experiments

Decide & Document — Commit to build, pivot, or kill