Opportunity Discovery vs Solution Discovery

An Opportunity is at the center of the Continuous Value Delivery form of the Product Operating Model. It consists of three things:

1. Context / The WHY
   1. The struggle moment is the most important part of jobs-to-be-done theory, and everything should start with it.
2. Outcomes / HOW we will measure success
   1. When done well, this should include the WHO we are trying to change the behavior of
3. Assumptions / WHAT are some things we’ll try to achieve the outcome
   1. In the absence of set solutions we may have insight excavation techniques in play to answer key questions that will lead to an increase in confidence and solution clarity.

A Solution, is just that… an output on the scale somewhere between prototype, live data prototype, working software, client-grade software.

Discovering solutions that put us in the best position to achieve the outcomes defined in an opportunity… that has been written about a ton.

Discovering what opportunities that we should aim for gets a bit murky because it goes by another name. Strategy.

Assuming you use quarters and a variation of OKRS, the practical way you can view this demarcation line between oppty and solution discovery is in who sets the quarterly OKRs.

I see a spectrum. On one extreme there is what Marty Cagan states, which is essentially that Product Leadership sets the OKRs, and the squads are trusted to deliver the solutions that meet the outcomes within them.

On the other end, the squad is given very lagging measures… to the tune of 3 year visions, and are entrusted to do the oppty discovery entirely on their own.

I used to believe that the line should be at one year. I, VP Product would set 1-year OKRs, and entrust the squads to handle the rest.

This made it such that the trio was overwhelmed because they had to balance; operations of the software they’ve already delivered, shaping solutions, and building the infrastructure to continuously discover and shape the oppties. And I was frustrated because there was connective tissue between the squads that I had to use influence instead of strategic placement or I’d risk being command-and-control, which is a non-starter for me.

So what I’m trying now is:

1. Product Leadership sets 6-month OKRs
2. Squad set quarterly
3. Product Leadership clarifying the expectation around insights that will help set the next set of OKRs, but without abdicating the decision to the squads.