continuous-discovery

name	Continuous Discovery
description	Full Continuous Discovery Habits pipeline: create interview snapshots, synthesize patterns, create opportunities, generate solutions, and identify and test assumptions.

Continuous Discovery

This skill implements the Continuous Discovery Habits (CDH) methodology by Teresa Torres. It covers the full pipeline from raw interview data to tested assumptions.

Pipeline overview

Individual Interviews -> Create Snapshots -> Synthesize Patterns -> Create Opportunities -> Generate Solutions -> Identify & Test Assumptions
     |                    |                    |                    |                       |                        |
[Raw Data]        [Structured Stories]   [Shared Patterns]    [Problem Statements]    [Product Ideas]      [Risks & Tests]

Workflows

Each workflow has a detailed reference document:

1. Create Interview Snapshots - references/create-interview-snapshots.md Extract structured insights from qualitative interviews or user tests.

2. Synthesize Interview Snapshots - references/synthesize-interview-snapshots.md Analyze multiple snapshots to identify common patterns and create comprehensive insights.

3. Create Opportunities - references/create-opportunities.md Extract and prioritize opportunities from snapshots and synthesis using Opportunity Solution Trees.

4. Generate Solutions - references/generate-solutions.md Generate multiple potential solutions through AI-human collaborative ideation.

5. Identify and Test Assumptions - references/identify-and-test-assumptions.md Extract assumptions, categorize them, prioritize "leap of faith" assumptions, and design lightweight tests.

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1. Create Interview Snapshots

When to use

After conducting a qualitative interview or user test session.

Input

Raw interview notes, transcripts, or recordings.

Output

• Format: Markdown (.md)
• Location: user-interviews/snapshots/
• Filename: snapshot-[participant-name]-[date].md

Process

1. Data Validation: Assess completeness and quality of interview data
2. Context Extraction: Identify session type, research goals, and participant context
3. Story Identification: Extract specific behavioral stories, not generalizations
4. Experience Mapping: Create user journey maps for key stories
5. Opportunity Analysis: Identify pain points, needs, and improvement areas
6. Insight Synthesis: Recognize patterns and behavioral insights
7. Snapshot Creation: Compile into structured interview snapshot
8. Quality Review: Validate completeness and clarity

For the full output template and guidelines, see references/create-interview-snapshots.md.

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2. Synthesize Interview Snapshots

When to use

• After completing 3-5+ interviews on the same topic
• Before creating opportunities or generating solutions
• When sharing research findings with stakeholders

Input

• Minimum 3-5 interview snapshots from step 1
• All snapshots should follow consistent format and cover similar topics

Output

• Format: Markdown (.md)
• Location: user-interviews/synthesis/
• Filename: synthesis-[initiative-name]-v[version].md

Key features

• Incremental synthesis: Process only new snapshots when updating existing synthesis
• Version management: Auto-increment version numbers, never overwrite
• Pattern recognition: Behavioral patterns, emotional journeys, workarounds

For the full framework, see references/synthesize-interview-snapshots.md.

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3. Create Opportunities

When to use

• After completing interview snapshots or synthesis
• When identifying customer problems worth solving

Input

• Interview snapshots from user-interviews/snapshots/
• Synthesis documents from user-interviews/synthesis/
• Strategic materials from company-level-context/

Output

• Format: Markdown (.md)
• Location: opportunities/[topic]/
• Filename: opportunities-[topic]-v[version].md

Key principles

• Focus on customer needs, pain points, and desires (not feature requests)
• Use problem-focused statement format: "I want to ~ but ~ makes it difficult"
• Organize using Opportunity Solution Tree structure
• Pause for user review at two checkpoints

For the full process, see references/create-opportunities.md.

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4. Generate Solutions

When to use

• After identifying a clear target opportunity
• Before committing to a single solution approach

Input

• Prioritized opportunities with supporting evidence
• Direct opportunity input from user

Output

• Format: Markdown (.md)
• Location: solutions/[topic]/
• Filename: solutions-[topic]-v[version].md

Critical rule

MANDATORY: The user must generate at least 3 individual ideas before the agent generates any solutions. If the user requests solutions without individual ideation, stop and explain the requirement.

Process

1. Review target opportunity
2. Individual ideation (human) - MANDATORY
3. AI-human collaborative ideation
4. Repeat and expand (target 15-20 ideas)
5. Evaluate and select top 3

For the full process, see references/generate-solutions.md.

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5. Identify and Test Assumptions

When to use

• After creating opportunities
• When preparing to generate or downselect solutions
• Whenever a new idea is proposed and you need to surface risks

Input

• Prioritized opportunities
• Early solution sketches
• Interview snapshots and synthesis

Output

• Format: Markdown (.md)
• Location: assumptions/[topic]/
• Filename: assumptions-[opportunity-name]-v[version].md

Key concepts

• Five categories: Desirability, Usability, Feasibility, Viability, Ethical
• Assumption Mapping: 2D grid (Evidence Known x Importance)
• Leap of Faith (LoFA): Maximum 3 assumptions from top-right quadrant (Weak Evidence + More Important)
• Test Cards: Smallest viable simulation with clear success criteria

For the full process, see references/identify-and-test-assumptions.md.

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Shared guidelines

File naming

All CDH outputs use semantic naming:

• Use kebab-case topic/initiative names
• Auto-increment version numbers (v1 -> v2 -> v3)
• Never overwrite existing files
• Check for existing files before creating new ones

Quality standards

• Focus on concrete behaviors over opinions or intentions
• Preserve customer language and exact quotes
• Document evidence strength for each insight
• Connect all outputs back to the Opportunity Solution Tree

Follow the writing standards in _shared/writing-standards.md for all outputs.