office-hours

Use a phased diagnostic workflow to frame problems and produce a structured design document for product discovery before coding. It guides you through six phases, interrogating evidence and premises one question at a time to finalize scope and next actions without writing software.

The YC Office Hours methodology for startup product validation uses a one-question-at-a-time diagnostic process. It forces teams to assemble evidence, define premises, and explore alternatives across six phases to validate demand and feasibility before building.

Validate demand and feasibility for a startup idea without coding by running a disciplined diagnostic process. It pushes for specific, testable commitments and evidence-first interrogation, ending with a concrete next action and a ready-to-share design document.

Yes, this design doc workflow applies to intrapreneurship projects inside a company. It offers flexible modes, including a Startup mode for diagnostic rigor and a Builder mode for design-partner exploration, fitting various goal settings.

The best way to structure a phased diagnostic for early-stage product work is a six-phase discovery workflow. It starts by clarifying goals and collecting context, then proceeds through one-question-at-a-time prompts until a final design document is produced.

Your team needs a formal design document before starting software development to ensure a clear problem frame. It streamlines early-stage product work by enforcing a disciplined interrogation of scope, alternatives, and premises, preventing premature development.