Discover Outcomes

Overview

Define outcomes that describe measurable behavior change or business impact, not features. Build a clear outcome ladder so opportunity discovery and solution ideas have a shared target.

Position in Workflow

Step 1 of product strategy workflow:

1. /discover-outcomes – Define outcomes (THIS)
2. /discover-opportunities – Identify opportunities
3. /ideate-solutions – Explore solution concepts
4. /discover-assumptions – Validate with experiments

Inputs (ask if missing, max 5)

• Business or product goal (north star)
• Target segment or market
• Baseline metrics or current state
• Time horizon for change
• Constraints (budget, compliance, strategy)

Workflow

1. Separate outcomes from outputs
   • Outcomes are measurable changes; outputs are features or deliverables.
2. Outcome laddering (OST-style)
   • Start with the top-level outcome.
   • Ask: “What must be true for this to happen?” to create 2-3 supporting levels.
3. Write precise outcome statements
   • Use actor + behavior change + context + metric.
4. Attach metrics and baselines
   • Include leading and lagging indicators.
   • Specify baseline, target, and time window.
5. Prioritize outcomes
   • Score impact, controllability, time-to-learn, and strategic fit.
6. Handoff
   • If outcomes are set, move to /discover-opportunities or /discover-assumptions.

Outcome Statement Templates

Increase [actor behavior] in [context] from [baseline] to [target] within [time].
Reduce [friction/cost/risk] for [actor] during [context] by [amount] within [time].

Output Format

## Outcome Discovery

### Context Summary
[1-3 sentences]

### Outcome Ladder
- Level 1 (Top outcome): ...
  - Level 2: ...
    - Level 3: ...

### Metrics
- Outcome: ...
  - Leading indicators: ...
  - Lagging indicators: ...
  - Baseline: ...
  - Target: ...
  - Time window: ...

### Prioritized Outcomes
1) ... (impact X, controllability X, time-to-learn X, strategic fit X)
2) ...

### Open Questions
- ...

### Next Step
Proceed to opportunity discovery. Run `/discover-opportunities`.

Quick Reference

• Outcomes = behavior or business change; outputs = features.
• Always include baseline + target + time window.
• Keep ladder depth to 2-3 levels unless complexity demands more.

Common Mistakes

• Writing features as outcomes
• No baseline or time window
• Skipping leading indicators
• Ladders that are too deep or too vague