Great strategy does not start with a lean (or bloated) canvas. It starts with conviction.
If you are about to have a discovery workshop with us, trying to run one with your team, or wondering if discovery is even worth the effort, this is for you.
Discovery is often treated like a one-off formality or a box to check. Done right, it becomes the most impactful time you can spend in the early stages of a product. It creates alignment, uncovers assumptions, surfaces real user needs, and lays the foundation for confident decision making.
We have rebuilt our approach to discovery by combining classic strategy thinking with AI-enabled tools. The result is a workshop that produces clarity and direction, not just conversation.
Here is what to expect.
Start With Structure
Every discovery session begins with three questions:
- What do we already know?
- What do we assume but have not validated?
- What must be true for success?
These questions help identify gaps and align everyone. Instead of jumping straight into ideas, we focus first on insight.
We come prepared with structure, templates, and prompts, but leave room for ideas to evolve. The room stays small enough to move quickly but broad enough to cover all key voices from product, engineering, design, marketing, and leadership.
Use FigJam as a Strategic Engine
Our sessions live in FigJam. It is not just a whiteboard but a strategic workspace where ideas are mapped, challenged, and prioritized.
We use:
- Persona templates built from real data
- Jobs-to-be-done boards, including emotional and social context
- Journey maps highlighting friction and opportunity
- Live prioritization tools to set next steps
Everyone participates. FigJam makes the session visual and collaborative, which keeps energy and focus high.
If you are running your own workshop, do not start with a blank board. Prepare templates. Keep it structured. Make it visual and interactive.
Let AI Handle the Heavy Lifting
We integrate AI openly throughout our sessions. It helps by:
- Summarizing live conversations
- Drafting early job statements and positioning ideas
- Synthesizing reviews and user feedback
- Comparing competitor positioning
- Flagging common risks and gaps
This keeps the pace fast. Instead of stopping to research, we move forward with insights generated live.
If you are leading discovery internally, you can use AI to prep beforehand by summarizing user research or creating draft frameworks to build from.
Build Personas That Influence Strategy
Many personas are too shallow to be useful. Ours are designed to guide real decisions.
Good personas include:
- Motivations and anxieties
- Beliefs and expectations
- Triggers for switching or adoption
They help teams answer real questions like “Would this feature matter?” or “Would this experience build trust?”
If you are building personas yourself, do not settle for demographics and job titles. Build for behavior and decision drivers.
Use JTBD to Anchor Strategy
Jobs-to-be-done keeps our discovery grounded in the user experience, not just features.
We identify three types of jobs:
- Functional jobs (tasks they need to complete)
- Emotional jobs (feelings they want to achieve)
- Social jobs (perceptions they want to influence)
Mapping these jobs helps uncover where true opportunity lies. Are there underserved needs? Are there emotional jobs your competitors ignore?
Using JTBD clarifies not only what to build but why it matters.
Prioritize Before You Leave the Room
Discovery without decisions is wasted time. We help teams prioritize while still in the session.
We use simple frameworks like RICE and MoSCoW. AI tools sometimes flag complexity or highlight risk areas to consider.
By the end, we know:
- What user needs matter most
- What ideas are riskiest and need testing
- What to prototype or explore next
Prioritization in real time builds momentum. It prevents the post-meeting stall that kills so many good discoveries.
If you are facilitating your own session, always close by confirming next steps, owners, and timelines.
Why Discovery Is Worth It
If you have been through a discovery session that felt hollow, it is fair to wonder if the process is worth investing in.
Done poorly, discovery is brainstorming without consequence. Done right, it changes everything.
It provides:
- Shared understanding of the user and market
- Visibility into risky assumptions
- A starting point for testing and learning
- A clearer roadmap aligned to real value
Discovery reduces risk. It accelerates learning. It aligns teams. Most importantly, it builds conviction, the kind you need to move fast and make better product decisions.
Whether you are preparing to join a discovery workshop with us, thinking about running your own, or deciding whether it is worth the effort, understand that discovery is not a luxury. It is the foundation for anything worth building.
