{"id":78726,"date":"2022-09-20T13:48:52","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T12:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/?p=78726"},"modified":"2025-01-13T16:25:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T16:25:50","slug":"product-discovery-methods-product-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/blog\/product-discovery-methods-product-management\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Product Discovery Methods You\u2019ll Need as a Product Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Product discovery is a huge and often overlooked part of a product manager’s day-to-day job. Product managers, and anyone wanting to become a product manager<\/a>, are responsible for a big chunk of any business: keeping the product useful, relevant, and ahead of the competition.

The key to such success? A healthy product discovery process. Here\u2019s an introduction to what that looks like, including product discovery methods and the tools that will help you along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is product discovery?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Product discovery is the process of deciding what to build by uncovering and understanding customer needs, evaluating alternatives, and testing potential ideas<\/a>. It\u2019s how product teams \u201cconstantly validate that there is a real problem to solve \u2013 that it is a real problem, and that solving it is worthwhile,\u201d in the words of ProdPad\u2019s co-founder Simon Cast.

Ultimately, discovery is about reducing risk in product development, while always developing in line with your product strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, there\u2019s initial product discovery and there\u2019s continuous product discovery. The two involve similar techniques, but as their names might suggest, they take place at different stages of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is initial product discovery?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Initial product discovery happens before launch. It\u2019s often about identifying the problem you’re tackling and whether what you think you should build is actually worth it. This is the MVP stage<\/a> \u2013 and product discovery here doesn’t actually represent something that should be built by the business. Rather it’s a chance to test certain decisions (or pivot away from them) so you don’t waste so much time creating something that isn\u2019t viable as a business.

In such an early stage of a business, you don’t necessarily have the existing product or customers to lean upon as sources of intel. Once you actually have a product, that\u2019s when continuous discovery comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is continuous product discovery?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Continuous product discovery<\/a> is the process of routinely questioning what it is you\u2019re building, questioning the people who use it, figuring out what their current problems are and making sure that your product stays relevant to them. Continuous discovery ensures that your product value<\/a> remains high, no matter how long you\u2019ve been in business or what direction the market takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The definitive list of product discovery methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the six definitive product discovery methods \u2013 some obvious, some old school, and some new that you can introduce to your team and incorporate into your product management process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n