Product discovery vs. product delivery: Can you save on discovery without good delivery?

Dispute: Discovery vs. delivery

Good discovery is often cited as a key factor in gaining a better understanding of customer needs and saving a lot of time in the product development process. However, Sebastian wonders why there is so much talk about discovery when some teams don't have their delivery under control. Isn't good delivery actually the decisive factor in realizing the full potential of discovery?

If you would like to find out more about Discovery itself, we recommend this article: How much Discovery is enough?

Which challenge is greater in Scrum?

In the Product Masterclass, many participants reported that one of the biggest practical challenges often faced by the product team is software delivery. They often have problems with the delivery of features and quality issues during acceptance tests. If delivery does not work properly, this often leads to conflicts and delays. This in turn can affect productivity and results. It is therefore important in many organizations to optimize delivery. Agile methods such as Scrum can help to overcome these challenges.

In view of the delivery problems that often occur, the question arises as to whether it really makes sense to invest time and resources in product discovery. The first step should be to stabilize the processes in software delivery before focusing on detailed discovery.

The logic behind this is simple: "All the optimization in Discovery is of little use to you if you can't delivern the things you learn afterwards."

The counter-argument to this is that many companies fail because they build products that nobody needs. You can save yourself the unnecessary effort of building a product that nobody uses with good discovery.

In the end, both processes must go hand in hand. This is the only way to create value for your customers and successfully bring it to market.

Where should you optimize your product first?

If an organization wants to improve, it is first of all important to observe the processes and identify weak points. Product managers play a central role here, as they need to recognize the challenges and promote a modern approach to product discovery. In our experience, you can use the following indicators to decide whether you should prioritize delivery optimization or discovery.

Indicators of a delivery problem

• The entire team has a queasy feeling about delivering features.
• Bugs or quality problems are frequent blockers.
• Features are not delivered by the agreed deadlines.
• Teams block each other.

A well-coordinated product team can help to minimize these problems and meet customer expectations.

Indicators of a discovery problem

• The product is difficult to market.
• There is a conspicuous amount of negative customer feedback and therefore changes that delay development.
• The development team has no understanding of the customer's needs.
• There is no clear roadmap for the implementation of discovery findings.

Is software delivery unsexy?

In the discussion about discovery and delivery, it is often overlooked that delivery can also pose major challenges. It is also often less fun than researching customer needs in discovery.

It is important to understand the meaning behind both processes in order to ensure a sustainable and target-oriented approach.

Sebastian argues that delivery is often perceived as unsexy because it mainly consists of tedious work and to-dos that have to be completed. Nevertheless, it is essential in order to actually implement the results of discovery in the products.

There should therefore be a balance. Prioritize as needed to identify weaknesses in delivery or discovery and make improvements where it makes the most sense.

In the end, Thomas and Sebastian agree that both discovery and delivery are important aspects of product management and that a good balance between the two is essential.

• Successful delivery is necessary to successfully bring innovations to market.
• Discovery helps to develop a better understanding of customers' needs and expectations.

So find a balance and work on both aspects when necessary to be successful in the long term and develop great products.

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