You’ve certainly heard of Product Discovery and its importance in defining the steps to be taken when designing a new product. In short, product discovery reduces the risk of having to rework, making the creation process less prone to errors.
Product discovery also goes beyond that, helping all the involved team to understand exactly how or what is the ideal product to solve the user’s pain. At this stage, we need to understand the user needs and make tests to prove the product efficiency.
But have you ever wondered what actually happens when there’s no discovery and how it impacts the product creation process? That’s what we’re going to deal with in this article, so stick with us and enjoy the reading!
What is Product Discovery, exactly?
Product discovery is the set of techniques and resources used to discover the answers to some questions related to the function of the product that is being created. It answers questions such as:
- What is the product?
- What is it for?
- How does it work?
- Why should it be used?
- Who is going to use it?
From these answers, it will be possible to analyze the opportunities to create solutions capable of meeting the target audience’s needs, keeping it viable for the company.
How does Product Discovery impact the team?
The lack of information about the persona’s needs affects not only the designer but the team as a whole. Having clear definitions of business rules avoids setbacks and wasting time searching for information.
More than clearly understanding what product discovery is, it is also necessary to understand how it impacts the way the team will conduct the process. After all, during the discovery stage, the necessary information is collected so that the product has the perfect fit for the customer’s needs. And that information is essential for the direction of the team.
How does it impact the company?
Product discovery also benefits the company, avoiding additional expenses that were not in the company’s financial planning, and also prevents the cost-reducing team breakdown or the reallocation of professionals to cover others who are leaving.
In addition, it also increases the chances of public acceptance of the product, which enhances the opportunities to increase the company’s profitability in a shorter period.
However, the benefits of product discovery for the company go beyond that. The main roles of the method are directly linked to the prevention of some risks
How to improve your product discovery?
Knowing how to make product discovery is the basics for creating a good product. It is necessary to go beyond that and find ways to improve the application of the technique. For this, there are some little secrets we’re going to tell you in the following topics. Keep reading!
Seek help
There are several groups and forums spread over the internet. Join them and interact by exposing your doubts and exchanging information with people who are going through the same problem. Many heads think better than one, and with collaborative work, it is much easier to find viable and often genius solutions.
Talk to people
Even when there is no specific issue or doubt, try and talk to people in the product development community to understand what other Product Managers are doing to improve their product discovery.
This exchange is enriching for the community as a whole and helps to discover new ways to improve the development of new products or the improvement of old ones.
Talking to potential users of the product is also very productive. Interviewing these people helps to find new insights that are very useful to innovate in problem-solving, which may meet the needs of your customers.
Attend events and courses on the topic
Another way to gain experience is attending events specific to the area, webinars, lectures, or mini-courses. When participating, do not be afraid to ask questions and make suggestions; after all, every participant is seeking to improve their processes.
Answer the essential questions
In product discovery, some questions must be answered to mitigate some risks, such as value, usability, execution, and feasibility risks. Therefore, be sure to seek the following answers together with your team:
- Will the user choose your solution?
- Will they understand how it should be used?
- Is the team able to create and produce this solution?
- Does the solution work for your business?
These answers are part of the information we mentioned, that can direct the work of your team, especially those related to usability issues such as the UX and UI teams.
Product discovery is one of several other existing methods to create a strategy capable of improving your product. The choice of which technique and how it will be used depends on an alignment and a search for the right answers about the way the product works and how it will impact the user.
More than that, product discovery is essential for a strategic alignment of the product. At this point, Corebiz is a company specialized in the subject, as we invest in research to deliver products that make sense and, even more, that add value to what will be delivered to customers.
Is the importance of product discovery clear to you? So, now that you know how fundamental it is to the strategic alignment of the product and your team, how about subscribing to our newsletter and getting first-hand access to much more content like this directly in your mailbox?
