User Discovery and Desk Research

• What it is: The first stage of exploration. We’re trying to understand who our users are and what their lives look like before assuming what they need.
• Why it matters: If we don’t deeply understand users, you risk building something no one wants.
• How it works:
  • User discovery = talk directly to people (interviews, surveys, shadowing their work).
  • Desk research = gather background knowledge from reports, articles, existing products, forums.

Desk Research (AI + Competitive Market) + Quick Feedback

• What it is: Two-pronged research.
  • AI + competitive research: Who else is building in this space? What trends (technical, regulatory, cultural) affect it?
  • Quick feedback: Take early ideas and get immediate reactions from potential customers (even casual calls or DMs).
• Why it matters: Avoids reinventing the wheel and checks if anyone actually cares about your idea.

Problem Areas (JTBD / Ecosystem Map)

• What it is: A structured way to capture problems.
  • Jobs to Be Done (JTBD): Users “hire” a product to get a job done. Example: “When I onboard new staff, I want to grant them access quickly, so they can be productive on day 1.”
  • Ecosystem Map: A diagram showing all the actors (users, tools, institutions) and how they connect.
• Why it matters: Helps us see the system of pain points, not just isolated problems.

Brainstorm PMF Hypotheses

• What it is: Early guesses about product–market fit (PMF). These are phrased as short statements linking a user job/problem to a proposed solution.
• Example: “If small dev teams struggle with offboarding accounts, then a unified permission manager will save them 5 hours per week.”
• Why it matters: These hypotheses guide testing and stop the team from chasing vague ideas.

EiR (Entrepreneurs in Residence)

• What it is: Founders or operators we bring in to “own” an opportunity. They are not just consultants, they’re people who want to turn the brief into a company.
• Why it matters: Needs dedicated builders who can move from research to product, not just analysts.
• How it works: Share validated Opportunity Briefs, recruit EiRs who resonate, and co-develop solution experiments.