by Cascade Waddell, Product Operations Analyst, ICT
Too often, product and product operations teams feel pressure to deliver quickly, only to realise later that their solutions do not truly address the real needs of those they serve.
That is why dedicating time to understanding the problem and conducting thorough discovery of what users need from a product is so important.
Why discovery matters
Product operations carrying out discovery on their product teams ensures we build solutions based on what those people need, not just what we assume. Effective discovery should answer:
- What is the real problem?
- How does it connect an organisation’s goals?
- Who feels the pain the most?
- Which solutions fit best within our constraints?
- How can success be measured?
By answering these questions, product operations colleagues can validate ideas early, reduce wasted effort, and focus on work that creates measurable impact.
What drives successful discovery?
Through my experience working with product teams at Imperial, I have learnt what makes discovery truly effective.
- Define your goals
Start by clarifying the goal of your discovery work and ensuring it aligns with broader company objectives. For example, when creating the ICT Guide, a central resource for department and product information, we set clear goals to meet customer needs and justify our approach to senior stakeholders, all backed by discovery insights.
- Use mixed research methods
Combine different research methods to ensure robust, well-rounded insights. For the ICT Guide, we used customer interviews, surveys, and usability tests. This mix provided quantitative and qualitative data, informing our strategy and helping us design better solutions. We have also applied this approach to our roadmap planning, using customer feedback to shape templates for initiatives and epics.
- Pilot before scaling
Test proposed solutions with a small group before rolling them out widely. Piloting saves time and resources, allowing you to learn what works and what doesn’t. For example, we piloted our Now, Next, Later roadmaps and a feature ideas portal to select product lines. Through their frequent feedback that elements of the process were unclear and often led to incomplete or inconsistent inputs, we created contextual guidance to the form fields to improve the quality of user submissions.
- Share insights visibly
Make discovery insights visible to build alignment and trust. When presenting solutions, we always referenced research sessions and highlighted common themes. This transparency helped shift our approach to be more product-led rather than stakeholder-led, introducing best practices such as hypothesis testing and defining success metrics.
- Measure outcomes, not just delivery
Success is not just about delivering a solution; it’s about the impact it creates. As our Product Operations team has grown, we are exploring new ways to measure outcomes, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and sharing success stories as we become more product-led.
Reflections
Making time for discovery in product operations is essential. When we take the time to deeply understand the challenges our teams face, we move beyond gut instinct and instead rely on evidence to guide our decisions. This not only leads to better outcomes, but also strengthens collaboration, promotes transparency and builds trust. Overall, it ensures we’re solving problems that truly meet our users’ needs.