How can you combine Product Discovery with Kanban? Learn how to use agile methods to iteratively explore customer needs, test product ideas, and make better decisions.
Introduction
Many companies face the challenge of efficiently validating new product ideas without wasting unnecessary time and resources. Product Discovery helps identify the right problems and develop and validate meaningful solutions before investing large amounts of money in product development.
But how can product discovery be combined with agile methods such as Kanban ? Kanban is not only suitable for software development - it can also help to structure the discovery process, maintain focus and react more quickly to new findings.
In this article, you will learn how Product Discovery works with Kanban , what benefits it brings, and how you can implement it in your team.
1. Why combine Product Discovery with Kanban?
Product discovery is an iterative process in which product teams find out what problems and desires users really have and which solutions work. Often this process is chaotic : There are many assumptions, unclear priorities and little transparency about what insights have already been gained.
This is where Kanban comes in. The method helps structure the discovery process by:
Makes the workflow visible
sets priorities and limits WIP (work in progress)
Continuous feedback enables
Helps teams focus on key assumptions
Instead of pursuing many ideas at once and getting stuck in endless meetings, Kanban enables clear step-by-step validation of new product ideas.
2. How does Kanban work in product discovery?
Kanban is based on a visual board that makes the current workflow transparent. In the discovery context, the board could contain the following columns:
Split | Meaning |
backlog | Collected product ideas, hypotheses or user problems that have not yet been released for processing. |
In Research | Active research activities (e.g. interviews, market analysis) on a product idea, hypothesis or user problem |
Insights & Learnings | Draw insights from research & tests on product ideas, hypotheses or user problems |
Prioritized hypotheses | Hypothesis tests on a product idea, hypothesis or user problem |
Experiments & Tests | Prototyping, A/B testing or MVP validation for a product idea, hypothesis or user problem |
Ready for Delivery | Validated product ideas, hypotheses or user problems that can be translated into product development |
Through this clear process, Kanban ensures that the team is always working on the most relevant discovery activities and nothing gets lost.
3. Important principles for product discovery with Kanban
3.1 Limit Work in Progress (Set WIP Limits)
One of the biggest mistakes in product discovery is trying to tackle too many things at once . Kanban sets clear WIP limits to ensure that the team only focuses on a limited number of research questions or experiments at a time.
Practical example: Instead of testing 10 different hypotheses in parallel, a team focuses on a maximum of 2-3 per week . This leads to faster results and clearer decisions.
3.2 Continuous flow instead of rigid sprints
Unlike Scrum, which works in fixed sprints , Kanban allows a continuous flow of findings and tests. New research tasks or hypothesis tests can be started and completed at any time as soon as capacity is available.
Practical example: Instead of working according to a fixed two-week sprint plan, a discovery team continuously conducts new interviews and tests depending on which assumptions need to be tested next.
3.3 Every research activity has a clear goal
In Kanban, it is important that each task on the board has a clear goal . Especially in Product Discovery, the following must be defined in advance:
What question does this research activity answer?
What decision will be made after that?
How do we measure whether we have gained actionable insight?
Without clear goals, discovery can quickly become an endless research cycle without concrete results.
4 .Best Practices for Product Discovery with Kanban
To ensure smooth Product Discovery with Kanban, there are some proven best practices to follow:
4.1 Regular Prioritization
Every week, the team should review the board and ensure that only the most relevant product ideas, hypotheses, and user problems are pursued. Insights from completed tests should be used to set new priorities.
4.2 Not Just Collecting Insights, but Using Them
A common issue in discovery is that insights are documented but not consistently implemented. In Kanban, completed research tasks should directly feed into decision-making processes.
Tip: A regular "Insights Sharing Meeting" helps share findings with all relevant teams.
4.3 Cross-Functional Teams
Product Discovery is not an isolated task of the product management team. Designers, developers, researchers, and business strategists should all be part of the process to integrate different perspectives.
Practical Example: A UX designer can start prototyping during the discovery phase, while a developer examines initial technical feasibility.
Conclusion: Why Product Discovery Works So Well with Kanban
Kanban is an ideal complement to Product Discovery because it helps structure the process, set priorities, and continuously gain insights.
By following a clear workflow of Research → Insights → Testing → Validation, Kanban ensures that product teams:
Make the discovery process more focused and transparent
Turn insights into decisions more quickly
Work only on the most relevant hypotheses
Reduce work in progress and operate more efficiently
Anyone who wants to approach Product Discovery in an iterative and data-driven way should try Kanban. It provides the necessary flexibility without leading to chaotic research.
Want to Introduce Product Discovery with Kanban in Your Team?
Start with a simple board and gradually optimize it, just as agile methodologies suggest!
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