How to Stop Wasting Time Building the Wrong Features

According to Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, 95% of new products fail. This startling statistic underscores why modern product teams – from SaaS startups to enterprise managers – must invest in rigorous product discovery. By systematically understanding user needs and testing ideas before development, teams can avoid the fate of Google Glass and New Coke, both cited examples of products launched without proper discovery. 95% of new products fail 95% of new products fail product discovery In this article we’ll unpack what product discovery is, why it matters, and how to execute it in agile environments to significantly boost your chances of success. what product discovery is What is Product Discovery? Product discovery is the process of exploring customer needs, market context, and business goals to decide what product (or feature) to build. In other words, it’s about validating what to build – and why – before investing heavily in development. As Atlassian puts it, product discovery “helps product teams decide the features of a product” by understanding customers and ensuring “the right product gets built for the right customer”. Industry experts like Marty Cagan describe discovery as a way to “quickly separate the good ideas from the bad,” producing a validated backlog of ideas. customer needs, market context, and business goals what why Atlassian Marty Cagan Unlike the delivery-focused phase of coding and launching, discovery emphasizes learning and risk reduction. It’s often visualized as a “second track” running alongside delivery: while one team iterates on building, another is continually researching, experimenting, and validating. By structuring this upfront learning, product discovery minimizes wasted effort and ensures the team builds solutions that users truly want. learning and risk reduction Why Product Discovery Matters Because so many products fail (up to 95%, as noted), product discovery is now essential for reducing risk and waste. Effective discovery delivers key benefits: 95% essential Deep user understanding: Discovery forces teams to empathize with users and uncover real pain points. Instead of guessing, teams study user needs and behavior, ensuring products address genuine problems. Research-intensive discovery leads to features that deliver real value, driving higher user satisfaction. Validated assumptions: Discovery tests hypotheses early through surveys, interviews or prototypes. This way, you can confirm whether users really want a feature before building it. Validating assumptions prevents the all-too-common error of rushing to solutions based on unchecked beliefs. Risk reduction: By exploring ideas and testing prototypes before full-scale development, teams minimize risk. Early feedback uncovers issues when they’re cheap to fix. According to industry sources, investing time in discovery “mitigates these risks and ensures that we are building the right products for users”. Innovation and alignment: Discovery encourages creative thinking and a culture of experimentation. It also fosters alignment across the team and stakeholders by creating a shared understanding of product goals. This focus on customers (not just technology) aligns development priorities with market needs. Deep user understanding: Discovery forces teams to empathize with users and uncover real pain points. Instead of guessing, teams study user needs and behavior, ensuring products address genuine problems. Research-intensive discovery leads to features that deliver real value, driving higher user satisfaction. Deep user understanding: empathize with users Validated assumptions: Discovery tests hypotheses early through surveys, interviews or prototypes. This way, you can confirm whether users really want a feature before building it. Validating assumptions prevents the all-too-common error of rushing to solutions based on unchecked beliefs. Validated assumptions: Risk reduction: By exploring ideas and testing prototypes before full-scale development, teams minimize risk. Early feedback uncovers issues when they’re cheap to fix. According to industry sources, investing time in discovery “mitigates these risks and ensures that we are building the right products for users”. Risk reduction: minimize risk Innovation and alignment: Discovery encourages creative thinking and a culture of experimentation. It also fosters alignment across the team and stakeholders by creating a shared understanding of product goals. This focus on customers (not just technology) aligns development priorities with market needs. Innovation and alignment: In short, product discovery helps avoid building something nobody wants. The ProductPlan glossary notes that discovery “moves teams beyond ‘nice-to-have’ features toward building products that solve real problems”. In competitive markets and tough economic times, that alignment between user need and product strategy can spell the difference between success and failure. avoid building something nobody wants Key Phases of Product Discovery Product discovery often unfolds in iterative phases (not a one-time checklist). While exact steps vary by team, a common agile-friendly process includes: User & Market Research: Start by framing the problem. Investigate why you’re building and who it’s for. Gather quantitative data (analytics, surveys) and qualitative insights (interviews, focus groups) to identify user pain points. For example, a team might analyze usage metrics and then interview target customers to confirm unmet needs. This phase produces a clear problem statement or opportunity area. Ideation & Hypothesis: With user needs in hand, brainstorm potential solutions. Use methods like design-thinking workshops, sketching, or user story mapping. Assemble a cross-functional team (product managers, designers, engineers) to propose various feature ideas. Encourage divergent thinking – come up with many concepts – then converge on the most promising hypotheses. Prototyping: Build quick prototypes or mockups of the top ideas. These can range from paper sketches to clickable wireframes or simple landing pages. The goal is to create tangible versions of your concepts so you can test them. Prototyping is a “lean way to validate your hypothesis”. Keep it simple: focus on the core experience you need to evaluate rather than polished visuals. Validation Testing: Present prototypes to real users or customers and collect feedback. This might involve usability tests, A/B tests, or pilot launches. Observe whether users understand the solution and solve the problem. For example, public feature roadmaps or beta versions can be shared with select stakeholders for feedback. The key question: Do the proposed features truly meet user needs? If not, use what you learn to iterate or pivot. Refinement & Decision: Based on testing data, refine your solution. You may cycle back to research or try new ideas. Eventually, decide on a solution that’s valuable (customers want it), usable (customers can use it), feasible (team can build it), and viable (fits business goals). When the solution is validated, you create a well-prioritized, validated backlog of features ready for the delivery phase. User & Market Research: Start by framing the problem. Investigate why you’re building and who it’s for. Gather quantitative data (analytics, surveys) and qualitative insights (interviews, focus groups) to identify user pain points. For example, a team might analyze usage metrics and then interview target customers to confirm unmet needs. This phase produces a clear problem statement or opportunity area. User & Market Research: why who Ideation & Hypothesis: With user needs in hand, brainstorm potential solutions. Use methods like design-thinking workshops, sketching, or user story mapping. Assemble a cross-functional team (product managers, designers, engineers) to propose various feature ideas. Encourage divergent thinking – come up with many concepts – then converge on the most promising hypotheses. Ideation & Hypothesis: Prototyping: Build quick prototypes or mockups of the top ideas. These can range from paper sketches to clickable wireframes or simple landing pages. The goal is to create tangible versions of your concepts so you can test them. Prototyping is a “lean way to validate your hypothesis”. Keep it simple: focus on the core experience you need to evaluate rather than polished visuals. Prototyping: quick prototypes or mockups Validation Testing: Present prototypes to real users or customers and collect feedback. This might involve usability tests, A/B tests, or pilot launches. Observe whether users understand the solution and solve the problem. For example, public feature roadmaps or beta versions can be shared with select stakeholders for feedback. The key question: Do the proposed features truly meet user needs? If not, use what you learn to iterate or pivot. Validation Testing: Do the proposed features truly meet user needs? Refinement & Decision: Based on testing data, refine your solution. You may cycle back to research or try new ideas. Eventually, decide on a solution that’s valuable (customers want it), usable (customers can use it), feasible (team can build it), and viable (fits business goals). When the solution is validated, you create a well-prioritized, validated backlog of features ready for the delivery phase. Refinement & Decision: validated backlog Throughout these phases, maintain close loop feedback. Product discovery is not a one-off task; rather, teams frequently revisit earlier steps as new insights emerge. In agile practices, discovery work can span multiple sprints or even run in parallel with development sprints, ensuring continuous learning. not Techniques & Tools for Effective Discovery To execute discovery in practice, product teams use a mix of techniques: Customer Interviews & Surveys: Directly ask users about their problems, needs, and reactions to ideas. Listening is key – suppress the urge to sell or justify. As product coach Teresa Torres advises, “listen—really listen” and avoid jumping to solutions. Prototyping & MVPs: Build Minimum Viable Products or prototypes early. Tools like Figma or InVision help rapidly create mockups. Even a simple prototype can reveal whether a concept resonates. User Testing & Analytics: Usability testing with target users uncovers issues in your design or concept. Analytics (e.g. click-tracking, heatmaps) can validate whether user behavior matches expectations. Combining data with user feedback gives a complete picture. Story Mapping & Workshops: Use collaborative exercises (story mapping, journey mapping, design sprints) to align teams. For instance, creating a user story map can align stakeholders around shared product goals. These visual tools keep everyone “on the same page” about customer journeys. Experimentation & A/B Testing: When appropriate, run small experiments. Product teams might release two variants of a feature or landing page to test which one better solves the problem (an A/B test). This is especially common in SaaS or consumer apps. Agile Discovery Workshops: Schedule dedicated discovery sessions or “sprints” where the team focuses on research and ideation. Engage developers early too – their technical insight ensures ideas are feasible. Atlassian calls this a “dynamic product discovery” process, where team collaboration is required throughout. Tools: Use product management tools (like Jira Product Discovery, Aha!, or Productboard) to collect customer ideas, feedback, and research in one place. These platforms help organize the information flow from discovery into delivery. Customer Interviews & Surveys: Directly ask users about their problems, needs, and reactions to ideas. Listening is key – suppress the urge to sell or justify. As product coach Teresa Torres advises, “listen—really listen” and avoid jumping to solutions. Customer Interviews & Surveys: Prototyping & MVPs: Build Minimum Viable Products or prototypes early. Tools like Figma or InVision help rapidly create mockups. Even a simple prototype can reveal whether a concept resonates. Prototyping & MVPs: User Testing & Analytics: Usability testing with target users uncovers issues in your design or concept. Analytics (e.g. click-tracking, heatmaps) can validate whether user behavior matches expectations. Combining data with user feedback gives a complete picture. User Testing & Analytics: Story Mapping & Workshops: Use collaborative exercises (story mapping, journey mapping, design sprints) to align teams. For instance, creating a user story map can align stakeholders around shared product goals. These visual tools keep everyone “on the same page” about customer journeys. Story Mapping & Workshops: align stakeholders around shared product goals Experimentation & A/B Testing: When appropriate, run small experiments. Product teams might release two variants of a feature or landing page to test which one better solves the problem (an A/B test). This is especially common in SaaS or consumer apps. Experimentation & A/B Testing: Agile Discovery Workshops: Schedule dedicated discovery sessions or “sprints” where the team focuses on research and ideation. Engage developers early too – their technical insight ensures ideas are feasible. Atlassian calls this a “dynamic product discovery” process, where team collaboration is required throughout. Agile Discovery Workshops: Tools: Use product management tools (like Jira Product Discovery, Aha!, or Productboard) to collect customer ideas, feedback, and research in one place. These platforms help organize the information flow from discovery into delivery. Tools: The unifying goal of all these techniques is to build a learning culture. As Productboard emphasizes, the aim is not just to ship features, but to create an environment of continuous learning that incrementally improves the product. Discovery is essentially about turning uncertainty into knowledge. learning culture Product Discovery in Agile Environments Agile methodologies are a natural fit for continuous product discovery. Unlike rigid upfront planning, agile emphasizes adaptability and feedback. Here’s how discovery typically works in agile settings: Iterative Phases: Agile teams make discovery iterative. They cycle through research, prototyping, and validation multiple times as new information comes in. There is no strict “end” to discovery; product teams keep learning even after launch. Cross-Functional Teams: Agile product discovery involves entire teams, not just the product manager. Developers, designers, marketers, and even sales reps should participate in discovery activities. This collaborative approach prevents isolation and ensures buy-in. Parallel Tracks: Often, discovery and delivery run in parallel. While one part of the team develops already-validated features, another team continues exploring future opportunities. Atlassian’s approach explicitly defines separate “discovery” and “delivery” tracks. This way, new ideas are always being vetted without blocking current development. Discovery Sessions: Scrum or Kanban teams may designate sprint slots for discovery work. For example, you might start a project with a Sprint 0 dedicated to discovery, or reserve 20% of each sprint capacity for research. Regular “discovery demos” or stakeholder meetings can share findings. Feedback Loops: Agile discovery heavily relies on feedback loops with users and stakeholders. After each prototype or iteration, the team must present and adjust based on input. This keeps the process flexible and user-centered. Iterative Phases: Agile teams make discovery iterative. They cycle through research, prototyping, and validation multiple times as new information comes in. There is no strict “end” to discovery; product teams keep learning even after launch. Iterative Phases: Cross-Functional Teams: Agile product discovery involves entire teams, not just the product manager. Developers, designers, marketers, and even sales reps should participate in discovery activities. This collaborative approach prevents isolation and ensures buy-in. Cross-Functional Teams: Parallel Tracks: Often, discovery and delivery run in parallel. While one part of the team develops already-validated features, another team continues exploring future opportunities. Atlassian’s approach explicitly defines separate “discovery” and “delivery” tracks. This way, new ideas are always being vetted without blocking current development. Parallel Tracks: Discovery Sessions: Scrum or Kanban teams may designate sprint slots for discovery work. For example, you might start a project with a Sprint 0 dedicated to discovery, or reserve 20% of each sprint capacity for research. Regular “discovery demos” or stakeholder meetings can share findings. Discovery Sessions: Sprint 0 Feedback Loops: Agile discovery heavily relies on feedback loops with users and stakeholders. After each prototype or iteration, the team must present and adjust based on input. This keeps the process flexible and user-centered. Feedback Loops: Overall, integrating discovery into agile prevents the common pitfall of letting development run “in a vacuum”. As Atlassian warns, discovery shouldn’t be siloed – it must be dynamically connected to delivery. By keeping discovery agile and team-driven, organizations stay responsive to change and maximize the value of their roadmap. Real-World Examples Even big companies learn this lesson. In fact, the Google Glass project – despite heavy R&D investment – was shelved when broad user needs didn’t match the product’s capabilities. Likewise, Coca-Cola’s New Coke is a famous case of skipping deep discovery: without understanding customer loyalty to the original formula, the change failed. These examples show that poor discovery can doom a product, even at scale. Google Glass poor discovery can doom a product, even at scale On the other hand, companies that obsess over discovery tend to find success. For instance, Atlassian promotes “dynamic product discovery” where product managers actively involve the whole team in continuously learning about customer problems. They’ve used this approach internally to guide products like Jira and Confluence. (See Atlassian’s resources on dynamic discovery for details.) dynamic product discovery” Startups often start small by necessity. For example, Airbnb’s founders famously tested their idea by personally photographing apartments to see if higher quality listings increased bookings. This early experiment validated the need to improve listing quality before building out more features. While not formally cited here, the lesson is clear: lean experiments and user feedback at early stages are the essence of discovery. before 5 Best Product Discovery Tools for Modern Product Teams The tools you use can make or break your discovery process. The right stack helps you move faster, uncover clearer insights, and turn research into action. Below are five product discovery tools that have proven themselves invaluable to modern SaaS teams, startup product squads, and enterprise product leaders looking to streamline research and reduce delivery risk. Shorter Loop Shorter Loop is a full-cycle product management platform built with connected canvases that unite discovery, strategy, and delivery in one place. Rather than treating discovery as a one-off or siloed task, it ensures user insights directly influence what gets built. Key Capabilities: Key Capabilities: Centralized feedback from support tickets, interviews, and surveys AI-powered insight clustering to spot patterns across user data Persona builders rooted in actual evidence Opportunity mapping to connect problems with validated solutions Pre-development value proposition testing Centralized feedback from support tickets, interviews, and surveys AI-powered insight clustering to spot patterns across user data Persona builders rooted in actual evidence Opportunity mapping to connect problems with validated solutions Pre-development value proposition testing Why it’s Different: Most tools help you collect research. Shorter Loop helps you use it. By feeding validated discoveries directly into your roadmap and prioritization workflows, it ensures insight isn’t just stored—it drives action. Why it’s Different: Best For: Product teams that want an integrated workflow from discovery to launch, and companies serious about making user input a strategic asset. Best For: Maze Maze is a remote user testing platform built for speed. It enables rapid validation of concepts and prototypes through unmoderated tests, so users can give feedback in their own time—while you gather behavioral data and insights. Perfect For: Teams validating prototypes at scale and needing fast, lightweight user feedback loops without the burden of manual coordination. Perfect For: UserTesting UserTesting gives product teams access to real users for live or recorded, moderated sessions. Its strength lies in gathering deep, qualitative insights—helping you understand user motivations, mental models, and Jobs-to-be-Done through targeted interviews. Perfect For: High-stakes product decisions that require deep, context-rich user research and voice-of-customer validation. Perfect For: Miro Miro is a digital whiteboard for collaborative ideation and insight synthesis. It’s invaluable during discovery workshops—especially for activities like assumption mapping, journey mapping, or aligning a cross-functional team on user research outcomes. Perfect For: Teams running collaborative workshops, synthesis sessions, or remote ideation efforts that turn research into clear next steps. Perfect For: Hotjar Hotjar offers behavioral analytics through heatmaps, session recordings, and in-product surveys. It lets you observe how users actually interact with your product—surfacing friction points and validating whether your solution matches user expectations. Perfect For: Post-launch validation, identifying UX issues, and capturing context-aware user feedback in live environments. Perfect For: Conclusion In today’s fast-paced software market, product discovery isn’t optional – it’s foundational. A disciplined discovery process helps teams avoid the 95% failure pitfall by ensuring products solve real user problems and align with business strategy. By following a structured discovery phase (research, ideation, prototyping, validation) and embedding it in your agile practice, your team can confidently build products users love. product discovery isn’t optional – it’s foundational Startups, SaaS teams, and seasoned product leaders alike must prioritize discovery. It’s the key to turning ideas into impact. For more in-depth guidance on product discovery processes and techniques, see Shorter Loop’s complete Product Discovery guide. Product Discovery guide Key Takeaways: Key Takeaways: Discover early and often to validate product ideas. Focus on user needs, not just neat features. Use prototypes and testing to mitigate risk. Keep discovery agile and team-driven. Discover early and often to validate product ideas. Focus on user needs, not just neat features. Use prototypes and testing to mitigate risk. Keep discovery agile and team-driven. By investing in strong discovery practices, product managers empower their teams to build the right product – and join the 5% of successes. right