continuous-discovery

Start with one customer interview per week attended by the full product trio (PM, designer, engineer). Automate recruitment with in-app intercepts and scheduling tools, block a recurring calendar slot, and complete a one-page interview snapshot immediately after each session.

An Opportunity Solution Tree is a four-layer visual connecting a measurable outcome to customer opportunities, solutions, and experiments. Define a measurable outcome first, populate opportunities from interview evidence, break large opportunities into sub-opportunities, then generate multiple solutions per opportunity.

List the desirability, viability, feasibility, and usability assumptions behind the solution, then map them on an importance-vs-evidence grid. Test high-importance, low-evidence assumptions first with cheap fast tests like painted-door buttons, one-question surveys, or Wizard of Oz prototypes, with success criteria defined upfront.

Ask about specific past behavior rather than opinions or predictions, using the anchor question "Tell me about the last time you..." followed by sequence, clarification, and emotion questions. Avoid leading questions, hypothetical scenarios, and pitching your solution during the interview.

The minimum viable cadence is one interview per week with the full product trio present, plus 10-15 minutes of snapshot synthesis afterward. As the habit matures, scale to two or three weekly interviews covering active users, churned users, and prospects.

Pivot when assumption tests consistently fail, new interviews reveal a bigger opportunity, or the target outcome is not moving despite shipped solutions. One failed test is not enough; look for a pattern of failures and confirm you actually tested assumptions before building.