discover-outcomes

name	discover-outcomes
description	Use at the start of product strategy to define or refine desired outcomes and success metrics (e.g., for Opportunity Solution Trees or continuous discovery) before selecting opportunities or solutions.

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