Why your Product Discovery
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Dear Reader,
Over the past two weeks, I've explored treating Product Strategy and OKRs like products to avoid Alibi Progress. Today, let's tackle the practice that often gets dismissed as "good in theory, impossible in practice" — Product Discovery.
When teams tell me "we don't have time for proper Discovery," they're usually stuck in Alibi Progress — focusing on following lengthy processes rather than reducing uncertainties from wherever they are right now. Discovery doesn't need a 28-phase framework to be valuable.
Let's treat Discovery like a product to make it practical:
For product teams, Product Discovery helps reduce uncertainty about problems and solutions worth pursuing. We know it's valuable when investment decisions are based on reliable evidence rather than assumptions, and teams avoid building features that don't solve validated problems.
Let's unpack this value statement:
For your audience (product teams with high uncertainty)
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For the problem you're solving (reducing risk through evidence):
For your success measures (evidence-based decisions):
Instead of worrying about following discovery theory, I recommend a practical approach: the "one-week test." If you could spend one week reducing uncertainty about your biggest uncertainty, what would you do? This approach forces teams to focus on high-leverage activities rather than comprehensive processes.
Remember: You're not a better product manager because you followed a six-phase Discovery process exactly. You're better when you can confidently explain, based on reliable evidence, which customer problems are worth solving.
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Thank you for Practicing Product,
Tim
PS: My inner dialogue whenever I discover a new coffee brewer:
Learn how I helped companies like Deutsche Telekom and Forto hone their Product Discovery practices. I closely work with product organizations through workshops and coaching to introduce and adapt Product Discovery.
Learn more about my Discovery Consulting |
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.
1 tip & 3 resources per week to improve your Strategy, OKRs, and Discovery practices in less than 5 minutes.
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