Why "Product Discoveries" are the Secret Ingredient?

The beginning 

The journey of product development became fast faced with "Agile transformation" in the firms. 

Historically the development cycles reduced from yearly --> Quarterly --> Monthly --> By weekly --> many deployments per day. 

Product discovery is most neglected area?

In the same space of delivery, other side of coin is "product discovery".  Product Discovery our goal is to learn fast, see if we can deliver "right product" . Our vision is to see "we have right product being envisioned".

Product discovery  should be given precedence or same kind of the significance as "product delivery" to have better balance and good delivery. 

Product Discovery "decides what to build"

Product Discovery "eliminates wrong product"

In olden days, the customer requirements are problem statements were treated as bible, and implementation was  kick started, as soon as we receive the requirements

That was one of the shortsighted decision. This vision-less approach gave the products which were worth less. There are any firms produced worthless products. 


Couple of tools and techniques to do successful "product discovery" This talks about more how to come up best design , go/no-go decisions before we hit to delivery. 

1. User Experience Design( UX)  

UX is the process of creating products, which will meaningful personal experience. 

• This involves careful product usability
• Pleasure of using the product and functionality

2. Design Thinking

Design thinking is human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer tool kit to integrate the needs of people , the possibilities of technology, and the requirement for the business success - Tim Brown (CEO of IDEO) 

3. Design Sprints

Design sprint is based on IDEOs "Design Thinking" framework. 

In scrum, we have regular Sprint delivery cycles. Design sprint cycles comes before and in parallel to "Delivery sprints"

The sprint is a five-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers.

4. Dual-track Agile

In scrum we have regular Sprint delivery cycles. Design sprint cycles comes before and in parallel .  This track will help to have better hand-in-hand Discovery and Delivery tracks in synchronization. 

5.What customer wants?

This is famous pictorial representation which was known in "what customer wanted" and what was build?

What customer wanted and how to do successful delivery is defined by MVP and other latest movements  . 

6. "Lean Startup and MVP movement" ?

MVP is "Minimal Viable Product". Thanks to Eric Ries, and way of approach.

Build what we need today in incremental model.

The "Agile" speaks on every release will create a part of "end product", which allows us for "validated learning".

MVP is especially useful for startups, where the cash and resources are the problem . 

7. Four Steps to the Epiphany 

There are other great books in same manner as "lean Startup" . 
" The four steps to the epiphany"

• The "Four steps" helps uncover flaws in product and business plans and correct them before the flaw has happened 
• Rapid iteration, customer feedback and testing your assumptions

8. Jobs to be done framework 

• Highlight the human need you're trying to fulfill. 
• A job to be done (JTBD) is a revolutionary concept that guides you toward innovation and helps you move beyond the norm of only improving current solutions.

Example: How are we solving customer problem?

It also means, what product you are replacing (Kodak VS Iphone camera) 

8.Opportunity Solution tree

 References

1. Product Talk by  Teresa Torres