A Beginner's Guide to

Discovery

The discovery phase is an essential part of any software development project. It’s the time when you work with your product delivery team (product manager + design + development) to understand the problem that the software is intended to solve, the requirements of the project, and the best way to implement the solution.

The discovery phase can be broken down into three main activities:

  1. Problem understanding: You and your product deliver team work together to understand the problem that the software is intended to solve. This includes understanding the root cause of the problem, the impact of the problem on your business, and the goals you hope to achieve by solving the problem.
  2. Requirements gathering: You and your product deliver team work together to gather the requirements for the software. This includes understanding the features that the software must have, the data that the software must store and process, and the user experience that the software must provide.
  3. Solution design: Your product delivery team uses the information gathered in the problem understanding and requirements gathering activities to design a solution to the problem. This includes designing the software architecture, the user interface, and the database.

The discovery phase is valuable for several reasons:

1. Discovery helps ensure the software is developed to meet your needs

By understanding the problem the software is intended to solve and the requirements of the project, the product delivery team can develop a solution that’s tailored to your unique and specific needs.

2. Discovery helps prevent scope creep

Scope creep is when the project requirements change during the development process. This can lead to delays, cost overruns, and a product that doesn’t meet the needs of your business. By engaging in the discovery phase, your product delivery team can get a clear understanding of the project requirements and ensure that the project stays on track.

3. Discovery helps identify risks sooner rather than later

Risks are anything that could go wrong with your project. By identifying risks early on, your product delivery team can develop mitigation strategies to reduce the likelihood of the risk occurring.

Discovery is an important part of any software development project

By investing time and resources into the discovery phase, your product delivery team can increase the chances of success for the project.

Here are some additional benefits of the discovery phase:

  • Improved communication between between you and your product delivery team
  • Reduced product development time
  • Reduced product development costs
  • Increased satisfaction with the overall project experience
  • Increased quality of the final product

If you are considering developing a new software product, we encourage you to invest in the discovery phase. It’s an investment that will pay off in the long run. Want to learn more? Let’s connect.