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Product Discovery is a term that’s often used in the world of product development, but what does it really mean? Is it something new, or is it just a different label for what we’ve always done? In this post, I’ll delve into the nuances of Product Discovery, explain why it’s critical to your product’s success, and share some real-world examples to help you understand its scope and impact.
Product Discovery encompasses all the work involved in planning for the future of your product. It’s about identifying what you need to do to make your product better, more valuable, and more appealing to your users. While it might seem similar to what we’ve always done, Product Discovery adds a layer of intentionality and scope that goes beyond traditional methods like Scrum’s refinement.
Planning for the Future: Product Discovery involves researching, designing, and understanding what needs to be done before a product can be delivered. This might include market research, user feedback, or technical feasibility studies.
Uncovering the Unknown: Unlike traditional planning, Product Discovery also focuses on the unknowns—the potential opportunities or problems that haven’t yet been identified. This proactive approach ensures that you’re not just reacting to current needs but are also anticipating future demands.
In Scrum, we often talk about refinement, but Product Discovery is broader. While refinement is about breaking down and understanding specific items in the backlog, Product Discovery is about the bigger picture—identifying new opportunities, exploring uncharted territories, and setting strategic directions.
So why is Product Discovery so important? Simply put, it’s about maximizing the value of your product by ensuring that you’re working on the right things, in the right way, and at the right time.
Every successful product starts with a clear vision and goals. Product Discovery helps you define what you’re trying to achieve as a business and how your product fits into that vision. It’s about setting a direction and then figuring out the steps you need to take to get there.
The scale of Product Discovery can vary depending on the size and complexity of your organization. For a small team, it might be a relatively straightforward process. But for a large organization, Product Discovery can be a massive undertaking, involving multiple teams and layers of decision-making.
Portfolio-Level Discovery: At a high level, organizations need to define their value propositions, set strategic goals, and decide on the initiatives that will drive progress toward those goals. This might involve market research, competitive analysis, and long-term planning.
Team-Level Discovery: Each team within the organization then takes those high-level goals and translates them into actionable plans. This involves figuring out what features to build, what user needs to address, and how to measure success.
Let’s take a look at some real-world examples to see how Product Discovery works in practice.
As mentioned earlier, the Azure DevOps team at Microsoft had to manage a massive product with multiple teams contributing to its development. They set a strategic direction at the portfolio level, and then each team engaged in discovery to figure out how to move the needle on their specific goals.
Another great example is Microsoft’s approach to product updates. They follow a season-based model, planning their product goals in six-month increments. One of their major initiatives was the Creators Update, aimed at increasing market share among creative professionals like artists, writers, and musicians.
How They Did It: Microsoft focused on enhancing tools and features that would appeal to creators. For example, they increased the pressure levels of their digital pens from 255 to 1024, improving the experience for artists using their devices. This required coordination across multiple teams, from hardware to software, all working together towards a common goal.
The Result: The Creators Update successfully expanded Microsoft’s market share in the creative space. But Product Discovery didn’t stop there. They continued to gather feedback and recognized the need for a follow-up update to address further opportunities and challenges.
Product Discovery isn’t just about making better products—it’s about making better decisions. It’s about aligning your entire organization, from the C-suite to the development teams, around a shared vision and goals.
One of the most powerful aspects of Product Discovery is that it opens up possibilities that you might not have considered otherwise. When you involve more people in the discovery process, you tap into a wider range of ideas and perspectives. This can lead to more innovative solutions and better outcomes for your product.
Despite its importance, Product Discovery is often underserved in organizations. Many teams are great at building solid products, but without deliberate focus and direction, those products might not achieve their full potential.
Product Discovery is not just a buzzword—it’s a critical process that can make or break your product’s success. Whether you’re working on a small team or a large organization, taking the time to engage in thorough Product Discovery will pay off in the long run.
Set clear strategic goals and align your teams around them.
Involve everyone in the discovery process to generate diverse ideas.
Keep an eye on the big picture, but don’t forget the details.
Continuously gather feedback and adjust your course as needed.
By embracing Product Discovery, you’re not just building a product—you’re building a future for your business. 🚀
If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.
We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.