Most project problems don’t start during delivery… they start right at the beginning.
That’s why the Project Discovery stage matters so much.
In this video, I’ll walk you through what project discovery really is, what happens during this phase, and why it’s absolutely critical — especially for complex or iterative projects. We’ll break the process down into five clear steps, from assembling the right team and understanding your situation, through to defining the problem, doing proper research, and evaluating your options. Along the way, I’ll also highlight the real benefits of doing discovery well — and what happens when you don’t.
If you want fewer surprises, better decisions, and stronger project outcomes… this is where it all begins.
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This is learning, so, sit back and enjoy
What is Project Discovery?
We use Project Discovery to build:
- Understanding
We do this by exploring the situation - Knowledge
We do this by researching potential solutions
It contributes to your Project Brief, with knowledge and understanding. So, it is a process of learning (which is fun). In the Discovery Stage, you explore and learn about:
- What the business needs
- …and what it already has
- What solutions are available
- …and which may be suitable
Development Work in the Discovery Stage
As part of this, in the Discovery Stage, we also do a little development work. Perhaps you might create a prototype, test some technology, or build a small part of the product you’ll go on to deliver.
Why?
Because this discovery development work will give you knowledge:
- Which solutions can work
- The likely pitfalls
- Clarity over requirements
- Customer or user experience priorities
- How long things might take
- Parameters for cost estimating
- Evidence for your business case
Discovery Stage in Iterative Projects
If all this sounds a little like ‘doing your project, before you do your project,’; you’re not wrong. Projects are iterative, even traditional ‘waterfall’ projects.
Why Project Discovery is So Valuable: The Benefits
But the benefit is two-fold:
First:
By creating a Discovery Stage, you can lift a lot of uncertainty and reduce your risk significantly. Project Discovery:
- Involves experts
- Determines solutions
- Identifies value
- Evaluates alternatives
- Avoids mistakes
- Limits scope creep
- Aligns team members and stakeholders
Second:
It’s just fun.
The Discovery stage allows us to engage in development, learning, and results… All without the pressures of a fixed requirement or quality standards.
The Five Steps of Project Discovery
I recommend a simple five-step approach to Project Discovery:
- Team Assembly
- Situational Understanding
- Problem Definition
- In-depth Research
- Detailed Evaluation
Let’s look at these one at a time…
Team Assembly
Get a diverse team. Favor ideas-people and be sure that all the key areas of technical and political understanding are covered. You will certainly need the Project Manager leading the team, and maybe:
- Business Analysis skills
- Technical expertise
(like Solution architects, process experts, UX/UI experts) - Creative thinkers
Brief your team well and set them off…
Situational Understanding
The first thing your team will need to do is develop a thorough understanding of the situation:
- Who the customers or users are
- What the users/customers need and want – their requirements. You’ll also need to understand their priorities, because you’ll not be likely to be able to fund everything!
- How your customers/users will assess the benefits or value of your solution
- The goal and objectives you need to work to
- Constraints
These may be:- Legal or regulatory
- Ethical
- Cultural and Political
- Technical
- Financial
- Commercial
- Security
Problem Definition
This is a far more important step than many people would think. Define precisely the problem your project will need to solve. A good way to do this is by crafting a statement that starts:
The problem is how to…
In-depth Research
Once you fully understand the problem and its context, you need to research possible solutions. You are looking for as many options as you can find and then synthesize and filter them down to a shortlist of the best.
While you are doing this, also keep an eye out for alternatives to undertaking a project at all. Sometimes there are simple operational solutions to what can seem like big or novel problems.
Detailed Evaluation
Finally, evaluate the options you have in your shortlist. Which offers the greatest value, taking into account:
- costs
- benefits
- risks
- perceptions
The answer will go forward into the processes of scoping and building a formal business case.
Recommended Articles and Videos to Help with Project Discovery
Carefully curated video recommendations for you:
- Master Project Discovery: How to Unlock Your Project’s Potential [Article]
- Mastering Project Discovery: Conversation with Professor Elliot Bendoley [Video interview]
- Discovery Mode: Cheese or Owl? [Video]
What Kit does a Project Manager Need?
I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own.
Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs
Note that the links are affiliated.
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