Hello Agile & Product enthusiast!
Ever feel like your product team is stuck between a rock and a hard place?
On one hand, you've got C-suite execs pushing for innovation, but on the other, they're handing down rigid yearly roadmaps. It's like being told to think outside the box, but only within this very specific box.
Let's chat about how to break free from this paradox and find a balance that works for everyone.
Before deep diving into details, I would like to first talk about Product Vision, Product Strategy and then product discovery. Let's talk product development, but make it tasty.
Imagine you're a chef, but instead of cooking up meals, you're serving up solutions to problems. Sounds wild, right? Your product vision is like dreaming up that fancy new dish no one's ever tasted. Sounds amazing, but it's all in your head for now.
Your product strategy? That's your quick and dirty recipe. Not the whole shebang, just enough to get you started in the kitchen.
Now, here's where it gets messy and fun - product discovery. You're in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, tossing ingredients together. Maybe you set off the smoke alarm once or twice. You know, typical cooking shenanigans.
So yeah, product management is being a mad scientist in the kitchen of the business world. You're taking these wild ideas, whipping up a quick plan, and then getting your hands dirty to see what works.
And that last part? The discovery bit? That's where all the good stuff happens. It's messy, it's chaotic, but man, when you nail it, it's so worth it!"
Ever wondered what product discovery is?
Think of product discovery as your product's reconnaissance mission.
It's all about poking around, asking questions, and testing ideas before you go all-in on building something. Taking an Idea that you have, and testing it to make it a reality, is what Product Discovery is all about.
Bringing an idea to life can be a challenging journey, but the process of product discovery can help make it a reality or at least give you enough insights to understand which direction to pivot to.
Imagine you're planning a trip to a new city. You wouldn't just book a random hotel and hope for the best, right? You'd check out reviews, look at maps, and maybe ask friends who've been there.
That's product discovery in a nutshell.
Why should companies care?
let's get real for a second. Building products? It's not just a money pit, it's a time-sucker too. And let's not even start on how crazy our markets are these days.
Everyone's in this mad dash to be first, and the pressure to keep churning stuff out? It's enough to make your head spin.
But here's the thing: product discovery is like your secret weapon. Think of it as your get-out-of-jail-free card for the product world.
Why's it so awesome? Well, buckle up:
So yeah, product discovery isn't just some fancy buzzword. It's your insurance policy against wasting time, money, and ending up with a product that's about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Pretty sweet deal, right?
Why Product Discovery Deserves Your Attention: Key Benefits
So, you're probably thinking, "Okay, but what's in it for me?"
Well, brace yourself, because product discovery is about to become your new BFF.
Here's the lowdown on why it's so darn awesome:
So basically, product discovery is like giving your team an x-ray vision of what users want.
It's messy, it's fun, and it might just save your bacon. Plus, who doesn't love playing detective and solving real-world puzzles? It's like being Sherlock but with better job security.
Gaining Executive Support for Product Discovery
Let’s tackle the elephant in the room: getting the big B’s to buy into this whole product discovery thing is a big challenge no doubt.
Trust me, it’s trickier than explaining TikTok to your child.
Ideally, higher stakeholders feel the time invested in product discovery is so massive that the time runs out and they feel we are not fast to market and losing market share.
So, how do we get the suits upstairs on board?
Here's the game plan:
- When discovery hits pay dirt, shout it from the rooftops! Nothing gets execs excited like success stories.
- Show how discovery fits into the big picture of company strategy.
- Make people aware of how both discovering new ideas and delivering them effectively work together to add value and improve the outcomes of achieving goals.
- Convince them to unleash their inner mad scientist, and talk data quantitative and qualitative.
- Get them to loosen the purse strings and give the team some breathing room.
- Help them get comfortable with uncertainty.
- Conduct workshops to give practical examples of how discovery aids the strategy of the company.
Struggle with incorporating Product Discovery in companies is a REAL problem
Why do companies struggle, it seems to be pretty straightforward why there is a need for product discovery. One can assume this is simple, but welcome to the real world where reality is polls apart from what you expected it to be :
- Stakeholders are hooked on quick wins like they're candy. Instant gratification is a hell of a drug.
- That annual planning session? It's their comfort blanket, and they're not letting go.
- The F-word (failure) scares them more than a horror movie marathon.
- They think "discovery" is something Columbus did, not a business strategy.
- There's this crazy idea that if they're not constantly churning out features, they're falling behind. It's like a hamster wheel of doom.
So yeah, getting the bigwigs on board? It's gonna take some smooth talking and maybe a bit of wizardry.
The message needs to be clear that discovery is crucial for the success of business in future.
We can probably convince execs that product discovery is worth a shot, right?
And ya, ignoring discovery is like skipping leg day at the gym - it might seem okay at first, but eventually, you're gonna fall flat on your face. And trust me, that's not a good look for anyone.
The secret sauce: Flexible roadmaps
Your company usually creates a roadmap for the quarter or year, and the product teams follow this to break down and work on the strategies laid out in the plan.
Here's how to make it work:
What does this mean for companies?
Embracing discovery and flexible planning means:
- Caring more about results than checking boxes
- Trusting teams to make smart choices- empower the teams and let them be the voice of customers’ pain
- Always being in learning mode
- Embracing failures and being tactful about balancing roadmap with delivery and discovery items.
- Investing in tools that support discovery
- Finding new ways to measure success
Wrapping it up
Look, balancing long-term planning with the flexibility to explore is tough. But it's like learning to ride a bike – wobbly at first, but soon you'll be zooming past the competition.
Real-life example time:
Let's talk about Snapchat. Remember when Instagram copied their Stories feature? Snapchat could have panicked and tried to out-Instagram Instagram. Instead, they doubled down on discovery.
They experimented with new features like AR filters and Snap Map. Some ideas flopped, but others (like those puppy dog filters everyone went crazy for) were huge hits. By staying flexible and constantly exploring, Snapchat managed to keep its unique identity and passionate user base.
The lesson?
Don't be afraid to zig when others zag. Embrace discovery, stay flexible, and who knows? Your next crazy idea might just be the one that changes everything.
So this was all about why bringing product discovery into your company is such a big deal. It's all about staying on top of your game and making sure your products knock it out of the park.
In my upcoming posts, we're gonna break down how to get this ball rolling. Don't worry, I’ll throw in some real-world examples to show you how it's done. No boring theory here - just practical stuff you can use!
I’m super curious about what's tripping you up when it comes to product discovery. Why don't you drop me a line and share your struggles? We're all in this together, and I’d love to brainstorm some solutions with you.
Keep that feedback coming as we dive deeper into the awesome world of creating kick-ass products. Your input helps me make this journey way more useful for everyone.
So, what do you say? Ready to level up your product game?