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Continuous Discovery Habits
Teresa Torres
The TL;DR
Discovery should be a continuous habit, not a quarterly event or a phase before building. Torres outlines a practical operating model: the product trio (PM, design, engineering) conducts weekly customer touchpoints. They map Opportunity-Solution Trees connecting desired outcomes to customer opportunities to possible solutions to assumption tests. The key insight: test assumptions, not solutions — most ideas contain hidden bets that will fail. Compare multiple options rather than validating a single idea. The cross-functional trio owns discovery together, not in silos. The book turns product discovery from an anxiety-inducing event into a calm, weekly practice.
Core ideas
- 1Touch base with customers weekly, not quarterly.
- 2Map an Opportunity-Solution Tree to connect outcomes → opportunities → solutions → tests.
- 3Test assumptions, not solutions. Most ideas have many hidden bets.
- 4Compare options instead of validating a single idea.
- 5Cross-functional trio (PM, design, eng) owns discovery together.
Key quotes
"Continuous discovery is a weekly cadence of customer touchpoints by the product trio."
"The biggest risk in product is not solving a real problem."
"Good ideas come from generating many ideas and comparing them."
Apply it this week
- →Book three customer interviews this week — and every week.
- →Draw an opportunity-solution tree for your current outcome.
- →Run an assumption test before writing the full spec.
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