1 tip & 3 resources per week to improve your Strategy, OKRs, and Discovery practices in less than 5 minutes.
🛠️ How to Navigate Product Discovery Like a Map
How to Navigate Product Discovery Like a Map​Dear Reader,​ “We need to complete all six Discovery phases in order." "Let's perfect that JTBD statement before we talk to users." "Our process requires detailed one-pagers before any customer interviews." Does this sound familiar? These are examples of dogmatic defaults: Teams cycling through the same tools in the same order, regardless of context. While these practices aren't harmful, blindly following them as processed often means missing faster paths to reducing uncertainty. Instead of rigid processes, think of Discovery as a path you navigate. It consists of: Entry Points: Where you begin. Shaped through (new) business goals, changes in market conditions, or other triggers. Crossroads: Pivotal „What do we need to learn next“ moments that determine the direction of a team’s moves. Articulated through research intent questions (problem space) or assumptions (solution space). Moves: The distinct methods you use to progress.Typically in the shape of qualitative or quantitative methods linked to the specific research intent question or assumption Commitments: States of informed conviction leading to clear decisions. Conviction about additional needed work to reduce uncertainty, discarding a problem or solution, or committing to and implementing a solution The key is not which method you use but how you choose your next move based on what you need to learn. When navigating Discovery Paths, constantly ask yourself: What activity maximizes uncertainty reduction while shortening the lead time to the next viable insight as much as possible? Here are the paths of a Product Team working on a financial trading app: Product Discovery isn't about following prescribed steps. It's about using evidence to reduce uncertainty about what problems are worth solving and what solutions are worth delivering. Stop waiting for perfect conditions. Start reducing uncertainty from whatever entry point you find yourself at. Did you enjoy this newsletter or have feedback? Do reply. It's motivating. I'm not a robot; I read and respond to every subscriber email I get (just ask around). If this newsletter isn't for you anymore, you can unsubscribe here. Thank you for Practicing Product, ​Tim​ PS: Thanks to Paulius Tuzikas for contributing to the "accidental" shaping of the idea of Product Discovery Paths derived from our conversation. PPS: Join me on Nov 12 for an in-person deep dive on Product Discovery practices at Product Tank Cologne. Join my In-Person Workshops in BerlinI'm excited to bring my beloved in-person workshops back to Berlin in January 2025. You can choose between 1-day workshops on Product Strategy, Product OKRs, or Product Discovery OR get the full 3-day experience for you or your team.
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As a Product Management Coach, I guide Product Teams to measure the real progress of their evidence-informed decisions. I focus on better practices to connect the dots of Product Strategy, Product OKRs, and Product Discovery. |
Product Practice Newsletter
1 tip & 3 resources per week to improve your Strategy, OKRs, and Discovery practices in less than 5 minutes.
Product Practice #342 The OKR Trap:Reporting vs. Progress READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Nov 12, 2024 READING TIME 3 min & 04 sec Dear Reader, Similar to being focused on Discovery motions, but missing Discovery decisions, simply filling in OKR templates will lead to reporting, but not measuring progress. OKRs that report numbers try to get a template-based Objective right and define a Key Result as something with a number. OKRs that measure progress take care of the hard conversations through...
Product Practice #341 The Context Matrix READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Nov 8, 2024 READING TIME 2 min & 11 sec Dear Reader, Every level of product management involves two areas: creating context and making sense of it. While creating the context partially depends on the environment you work in, making sense of the context mainly depends on the hard skills a product team has. For Product Strategy, the context consists of internal and external data points about the market, your capabilities, how...
Product Practice #339 How to predict the future of your OKRs (and why it matters) READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Oct 25, 2024 READING TIME 3 min & 32 sec Dear Reader, Ever sat in an OKR review meeting feeling like you're just going through the motions or reporting without meaning? You're not alone. As a Head of Product, I've been there too. But what if I told you there's a way to make your OKRs truly useful for decision-making? Let's dive in. The power of predicting the future One of my favorite...