Product discovery
Turn assumptions into answerable questions and a focused definition of the problem.
Product strategy & consulting · Philippines · Worldwide
Make the expensive decisions before the expensive build.
I help founders and teams define what to build, reduce technical uncertainty, and turn a broad product idea into an executable plan.
Directly with Michael · Usually replies within one business day
01 / INPUTOpportunity & constraints
clarify ↓
02 / BUILDProduct decisions
USERSCOPERISKPLAN
deliver ↓
03 / OUTCOMEA confident path forward
10+years building for the web
Directone accountable partner
UTC+8Philippines · worldwide
Yourscode, accounts, and assets
01 Capabilities
Work built around the outcome.
Every engagement starts with the real job to be done, then removes the noise between the requirement and a dependable result.
MVP scoping
Identify the smallest release that can create value and produce useful evidence.
Technical direction
Choose architecture, platforms, and delivery constraints with the future in view.
Product audits
Find usability, technical, performance, and operational friction in an existing product.
Roadmap decisions
Prioritize work by user value, business impact, risk, and dependency—not volume.
Build-vs-buy guidance
Evaluate platforms and vendors before your team commits time and budget.
02 What's included
Everything needed to do the work properly.
A clear scope, visible progress, and practical decisions at every layer—not a black box that appears at the deadline.
Stakeholder sessions
Focused conversations that surface goals, constraints, assumptions, and disagreement.
Current-state audit
Evidence from the product, workflows, analytics, code, or architecture where available.
Decision framework
Explicit criteria that make tradeoffs explainable instead of political.
Recommended scope
A prioritized product definition with exclusions as clear as the inclusions.
Technical plan
Architecture direction, dependencies, risks, and a practical delivery sequence.
Working brief
A document your internal team or chosen development partner can execute.
03 Process
Decisions first. Execution second.
You know what is happening, why it matters, and what comes next throughout the engagement.
- 01
Frame
Define the decision, desired outcome, constraints, and available evidence.
- 02
Investigate
Review users, workflows, product behavior, technology, and commercial context.
- 03
Decide
Compare credible options and make the key tradeoffs explicit.
- 04
Plan
Turn the recommendation into scope, sequence, ownership, and next actions.
A good fit
You value useful work over busy work.
- You have a product idea but the first release is still too broad.
- A rebuild or major feature carries meaningful technical risk.
- Your roadmap has more requests than rationale.
- You want an experienced builder involved before committing budget.
04 Tools & platforms
The right tool for the constraint.
Discovery workshopsProduct auditsUser journeysMVP scopeArchitecture reviewTechnical roadmapsAnalytics reviewVendor evaluation
05 Common questions
Before we start.
What do I receive from a consulting engagement?+
The output is matched to the decision, usually including findings, recommendations, prioritized scope, risks, and a practical next-step plan.
Can you consult without building the product?+
Yes. The engagement can end with an independent plan your internal team or another development partner executes.
Can you also build what you recommend?+
Yes, when the fit and availability are right. Strategy and implementation are scoped separately so the recommendation stands on its own.
How long does product discovery take?+
A focused engagement can take one to three weeks, depending on stakeholders, product complexity, and the evidence available.
Is this useful for an existing product?+
Yes. Audits and strategy work are especially valuable before a major redesign, rebuild, integration, or roadmap commitment.
Ready when you are