Introduction

Product teams often jump straight into building things. This tool helps them slow down, think better, and make smarter choices.

What's the Problem It Solves?

Teams often rush into building solutions without fully understanding the problem they're solving or checking if their ideas match real customer needs. The Opportunity Solution Tree helps them avoid this by organizing their thinking and connecting all the steps in product discovery.

Quick Summary

Many teams struggle to see the big picture during product discovery. They collect feedback, test ideas, and build features, but they don’t always know how these actions link together. The Opportunity Solution Tree helps by showing how one clear goal connects to customer problems (opportunities), which then connect to ideas (solutions), and finally to small tests (experiments).

This method forces teams to ask better questions, compare only ideas that solve the same problem, and avoid building things just because someone had a “cool idea.” It gives structure to the messy work of figuring out what to build, so teams can work faster and smarter. And by mapping their thinking, teams can find mistakes, test assumptions, and improve their chances of building something people truly need.

Key Takeaways from the Article

• Start with one clear goal-like increasing signups or user happiness.
• Look for problems (opportunities) through real customer research, not guesses.
• Only build ideas that solve one of those real problems.
• Test your ideas with small experiments, not full builds.
• Map your thinking visually so your team stays focused and aligned.
• Avoid fixating on one idea too early. Always explore a few options.
• Don’t explore too many things at once. Balance depth and breadth.
• Good product discovery is not linear. Keep exploring and testing every week.
• If your idea doesn’t connect to a clear problem or goal, it’s probably a distraction.
• This visual tool is simple but powerful-it helps teams avoid bad decisions and build better products.

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