💎 My go-to product discovery process

A few years ago, I worked with a startup that was struggling to keep customers engaged beyond their initial onboarding. Despite having a solid product, something was missing, and it was taking a toll on growth. We knew we had to dig deep to uncover the root of the problem. So, we embarked on a discovery process that not only turned the situation around but also transformed the entire customer experience.

What we found was eye-opening: customers were excited about the product initially but quickly hit roadblocks that made them question its value. By diving into their journey, we identified key friction points and frustrations that were pushing users away. But we didn’t stop there. We set a clear goal, mapped out the customer journey, and systematically addressed each pain point, focusing on what would deliver the most value at every stage.

The result? A product experience that didn’t just retain customers—it turned them into advocates. By understanding their needs and continuously improving the product, we created something that resonated deeply with users, driving not just engagement, but real growth.

This experience reinforced a fundamental truth: great discovery leads to incredible customer value. When you truly understand your customers and what they’re going through, you can create products that solve real problems and deliver lasting impact. It’s not about guessing or assuming—it’s about knowing and doing. And that’s exactly what my go-to product discovery process is all about.

Here’s how you can apply this process to scale your product and business:

1. Start with a Clear Goal

Every great product journey begins with a destination in mind. Before diving into discovery, I always start by asking: What’s the business aiming to achieve? Is it reducing churn? Increasing conversions? Enhancing onboarding? Or maybe it’s all about activating accounts? Whatever the goal, it becomes the North Star guiding all your discovery work. Without a clear goal, you’re just wandering—productive discovery thrives on purpose.

Having a defined goal sets the guardrails for your work. It keeps you focused and prevents you from getting lost in the weeds. For example, if your goal is to improve onboarding, then your discovery should hone in on areas that directly impact that experience. Anything outside that scope can wait.

2. Evaluate the Customer Journey

With your goal in mind, the next step is to put on your detective hat and dive deep into the customer journey. Start from the beginning: Qualified Lead all the way through to Closed Won, Onboarding, Activation, Retention, and Referral. Each of these stages is packed with opportunities to learn and improve.

The key here is to understand the crucial actions customers must take at each stage, identify the friction points that slow them down, and uncover their biggest frustrations. For example, maybe your customers are getting stuck during onboarding because of a complex setup process, or perhaps they’re dropping off before activation because the value proposition isn’t clear enough.

This deep dive will lead you to the problem valleys that are affecting your goal. Once you’ve mapped out where the pain points are, you’ll start to see where you can make both quick wins and deeper, more strategic improvements.

3. Determine ‘Good’, ‘Better’, ‘Best’

Now that you’ve identified the issues, it’s time to think about solutions. But here’s the trick—don’t aim for perfection right out of the gate. Instead, determine what constitutes a ‘Good’ experience, what would make it ‘Better,’ and what the ‘Best’ version could look like.

Releasing a ‘Good’ phase first allows you to quickly address the most pressing issues and make incremental progress. As you benchmark against your original goal, you can roll out the ‘Better’ and ‘Best’ phases, fine-tuning as you go.

This approach helps you avoid the all-or-nothing trap and gives you the flexibility to balance multiple needs at once. By knowing what’s good enough, you can keep momentum going while planning your next steps.

Product discovery is an art and a science. It’s about asking the right questions, focusing on what matters, and iterating your way to success. By starting with a clear goal, thoroughly evaluating the customer journey, and strategically releasing improvements, you’ll be well on your way to creating products that not only meet but exceed expectations.

If you’d like to chat more about deploying these strategies, let’s connect and discuss how we can collaborate to achieve your company’s success.

Onwards,