Operating model stages

Discovery

Frame the problem, map the users, and shape a hypothesis sharp enough to prototype against.

Published

Owner · Director, InnovationUpdated · 2026-07-19

Purpose

Discovery turns a pursued signal into a hypothesis sharp enough to prototype against. The goal isn't a research report — it's a testable statement of who, what, and what "better" looks like.

Entry: Pursued signal with a hypothesis owner.
Artifact: Problem frame + user map.
Gate: Testable hypothesis.

Activities

Frame the problem. Job to be done, current workaround, cost of the workaround, moment of pain.
Map the users. Who has the problem, who benefits, who blocks change, who owns the metric.
Two to four user conversations. Not interviews for a report — conversations that pressure-test the frame. Record them.
Write the hypothesis. "We believe [user] will [behavior] because [reason], and we'll know because [signal]." One sentence.
Pre-write the prototype prompt. If you can't describe what to build in a paragraph, the hypothesis isn't sharp enough yet.

Common failure mode

Discovery becomes a deliverable

Discovery is not a phase for producing decks or Figma boards. If you're spending more than a week here without a testable hypothesis, you're building the wrong artifact. Prototype the hypothesis you have and let the prototype pressure-test the framing.

Supporting tools

Recorded sponsor and user conversations.
ChatGPT to synthesize transcripts into a first frame.
Prototyping workflow for the immediate next step.