Build the Right Thing with a Formalized Discovery Process
summary
A formal discovery framework at a 1,000‑person Pearson unit redirects investment into testing problems before building features for 75,000 full‑time and 250,000 part‑time students. A small core discovery team (product manager, product owner, engineering lead, QA, UX, architect) runs Understand → Ideate → Validate → Define cycles, typically ~one month, using cheap PowerPoint prototypes, Mural and Zoom for remote collaboration, Aha for epics and Neo wiki for updates. Results: one feature dropped, another reshaped, positive school leader feedback, and better alignment into the SAFe program backlog.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Formalized discovery intro
- 7:28Customer interviews
- 13:28Discovery team structure
- 22:22Four-phase discovery
- 22:43Rolling out discovery
- 31:57Capacity and alignment
- 32:19Success evidence
- 34:24Implementing discovery
- 37:51Final reflection
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