Before you build: a lean product discovery brief that prevents rework
The decisions teams should make before committing budget to a website, SaaS product, or internal tool.
Describe the change
Begin with the person, current behavior, friction, and measurable change the product should create. Feature lists often hide disagreement; an outcome exposes it.
Make five decisions
Good estimates need boundaries. Clarify the primary user, critical journey, source of truth, operating owner, and first-release success signal.
- Who has the urgent problem?
- What must they complete end to end?
- Which system owns each record?
- Who handles support and exceptions?
- What evidence justifies the next investment?
Prototype the uncertain part
Do not prototype every screen. Prototype the interaction, integration, or operational handoff most likely to invalidate the idea.
Leave room for evidence
A first release should be coherent but bounded. Instrument the journey, schedule a review, and keep a decision log so the next iteration responds to behavior.