Product Discovery

Product discovery is evidence-based work through which a product team investigates problems, user needs, context, risks and solution assumptions before and during significant delivery decisions. It uses research, data, prototypes and experiments to decide what to pursue, adapt or stop. Discovery may also show that no new product feature should be built.

Use the term when a product decision still contains material uncertainty about the problem, audience, value, usability, feasibility or viability.

Discovery becomes a one-off phase, a methods workshop or a justification for a solution already chosen. Research without a decision to inform produces insight but not focus.