Insights from a 15-Year Product Management Veteran
As a seasoned product manager with experience at companies like ThredUp, Affirm, Epic Games, Apollo.io, and Google, I’ve seen my fair share of product discovery efforts. While product discovery is a powerful tool when used correctly, it can also become a time-consuming process that hinders agility and effectiveness.
The Pitfalls of Over-Investing in Discovery
Product discovery is essential for creating successful products, but it’s crucial to strike the right balance. Over-investing in discovery can lead to:
- Walking in circles and second-guessing decisions
- Delaying the development process
- Losing sight of the “released is better than perfect” mentality
As I discussed in my previous post on the importance of a strong product development philosophy, finding the right balance between agility and effectiveness is key to successful product discovery.
When to Invest in Discovery
There are several scenarios where investing in product discovery is beneficial:
- When you have multiple solutions to a problem and need user input
- When you want to better understand your users and market
- When you’re pivoting to create new products or verticals
- When a solution is high-risk/high-reward and requires convincing senior leadership
- When discovery is significantly shorter than development and can validate investment early on
- As a vector for product brainstorming
Show Image Effective product discovery techniques help validate ideas and prioritize features.
When to Avoid Over-Investing in Discovery
On the other hand, there are times when extensive discovery can be overkill:
- When you can quickly build an MVP and test it with real users
- When you’re unsure about UX choices and can iterate based on data and heatmaps
- When implementing a well-known, successful solution from a competitor
- When you need a quick win and discovery processes aren’t streamlined
- When you have data or research that already supports your backlog item
- When you’re uncertain about which discovery technique will work for a specific project
A great example of balancing agility and effectiveness in product discovery is the case study of PayPal, where they leveraged targeted discovery techniques to validate our assumptions and prioritize features.
The Role of Product Discovery in Effective Product Development
Effective product discovery is a critical component of successful product development. By understanding when to invest in discovery and when to focus on agility, product managers can optimize their development process and create products that resonate with users.
Show Image Balancing agility and effectiveness is the key to successful product discovery.
The Bottom Line
Product discovery is a valuable tool, but it’s essential to use it judiciously. By balancing agility and effectiveness, product managers can create successful products without getting bogged down in endless discovery cycles.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with product discovery. Share your stories of wasted discovery time or instances where discovery proved invaluable in the comments below!
[Note: This article is based on the author’s 15 years of experience as a product manager at companies like ThredUp, Affirm, Epic Games, Apollo.io, and Google.]
