Opportunity Solution Trees

What It Is

When to Use It

• Structure discovery around customer opportunities
• Tie customer needs to measurable outcomes
• Compare multiple solutions for the same opportunity
• Keep continuous discovery aligned with the roadmap
• Create a shared view of priorities with stakeholders

When Not to Use It

• You are not doing customer research
• The solution is already decided
• The work is a commodity requirement with no real options
• You only need a quick one-off decision

Core Structure

• Outcome: the business result you are responsible for achieving
• Opportunities: unmet customer needs, pains, or desires
• Solutions: multiple ideas that address one opportunity
• Experiments: tests that validate the riskiest assumptions

How to Apply It

1. Define a measurable outcome.
2. Map the customer journey to frame opportunity areas.
3. Capture opportunities from real interviews (stories, not preferences).
4. Organize opportunities into a tree from broad to specific.
5. Generate at least three solutions per high-priority opportunity.
6. Test the riskiest assumptions before building.
7. Review and update the tree weekly.

Resources

• Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres