Training: Product Discovery Essentials

Duration and language:

Onsite training - 14h - 2 days each 7 hours (including breaks).

Online training - 15h - 3 days each 5 hours (including breaks). Online training schedule:

• 09:00 - 11:00 CET online session,
• 11:00 - 12:00 CET break,
• 12:00 - 14:00 CET online session.

Training is provided in English. A Polish version is also available.

Target group:

The training is intended for:

• Product Owners, product managers,
• business and system analysts, solution architects,
• change agents, internal trainers, Scrum Masters,
• agile coaches, Agile consultants,
• specialists, members of operational teams,
• department/team leaders and managers.

Those who want to grow the organization in the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Training preconditions:

Minimum knowledge of basic concepts in the field of product/services development and project management. Participation in the development and team engagement activities, in particular in initiatives, in which a team of at least several people cooperates, or many teams at the same time.

For online training, it is required to be computer literate and meet technical requirements: https://valkir.pl/en/online-training/.

Price includes:

• Preparation and training performed by an expert, an experienced Product Discovery, Design Sprint and Product Management consultant.
• Effective training in a small group - on average 6-12 people.
• Training materials, requisites and a certificate of training completion issued by Valkir Academy.
• Lunch and catering (drinks and snacks). Not applicable to online training.
• Trainer’s travel and expenses (T&E). Not applicable to online training.

Certification:

The price of the authorial training includes certificates of training completion issued by Valkir Academy (in English). If you want to obtain Scrum.org certification, we invite you to our accredited Professional Scrum Product Owner I/II training, or to purchase a voucher (additional fee) for the PSPO I/II assessment.

Training description:

What is the Product Discovery Essentials training?

Perhaps you are a Product Owner, maybe a Product Manager, or you are just beginning to explore the field of product discovery and seek inspiration to improve this challenging process? The process of continuous product discovery. Or simply you want to implement best practices and standards in your organization, as well as develop your own way of working for your organization?

Product Discovery Essentials is an authorial training program designed for people who want to better understand their customers’ needs, validate hypotheses and effectively manage product lifecycle. This training will be valuable both in the early stages of a product, during product growth exploration and when things become too overwhelming with uncertainty.

During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to work on real-life case studies that will help them apply the knowledge they have gained in practice. The training combines theoretical fundamentals with intensive practical exercises, enabling participants to understand and master key aspects of Product Discovery.

Who’s behind this?

The very concept of Product Discovery was widely popularized by Marty Cagan in his famous book “Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love”, first published as early as 2008 and revamped in 2017 with a second edition of the book.

Building on this, Teresa Torres, published her book “Continuous Discovery Habits” in 2021, which expanded it to include modern practices and further popularized it, from now as a concept of continuous product discovery. Their work has become the foundation for many modern approaches used every day by Product Managers around the world.

Training agenda:

1. Introduction to Product Discovery
   • A concise presentation of the Product Discovery foundation.
   • What is the difference between product discovery and continuous product discovery?
   • Methods of defining the problem hypothesis, quantitative and qualitative research.
   • Thinking as your user: Proto(Persona), Empathy Map.
   • Structuring work with the help of Opportunity-Solution Tree.
    
2. User and market research
   • Mapping users needs using concepts such as JTBD and Value Proposition Canvas.
   • User Experience Mapping and User Journey Mapping.
   • Market and competitive analysis: SWOT, PEST. Identification of target market (TAM, SAM, SOM).
   • Insights analysis and decision-making based on findings.
    
3. Formulating and validating solution hypotheses
   • Defining product goals and product vision using Vision Board and Product Discovery Canvas.
   • Aligning business perspectives using Business Model Canvas and Lean Canvas.
   • Ideation techniques: Brainstorming, Crazy 8s, Storyboarding.
   • Hypothesis validation tools based on Test Card, Learning Card, Experiment Loop Map.
   • Rapid testing through Customer Discovery interviews.
    
4. Designing solution prototype
   • Discussion: Differences between the types of prototypes, the balance between the cost of creation and the profit from the verified hypothesis of the problem and solution.
   • Effort to prepare paper mock-ups and sketches vs. prototyping in electronic tools.
   • Evaluating and selecting prototype solution using Dot Vote and Decision Matrix techniques.
    
5. Prototype testing
   • Explaining the concept of a Minimum Viable Product - MVP and its testing methods.
   • Defining the initial scope for the MVP through a User Story Mapping workshop.
   • An overview of MVP testing methods: cheap and fast vs expensive and complex.
   • Explanation of the Validated Learning concept, as well as where to look for problem hypothesis confirmation.
    
6. Applying validated learning into decision-making process
   • An overview of metrics in terms of Innovation Accounting, Pivot and Persevere concept.
   • Moderating and facilitating meetings in the area of researching needs, verifying hypotheses, testing the solution and deciding what to do next.
   • Transforming validated learning into a delivery roadmap based on GO Product Roadmap.
   • Competence of stakeholders management and effective communication.
    
7. Training summary

Training goals:

What are the challenges we address?

• How to effectively discover and define user needs?
• How to validate product hypotheses?
• How to optimize market research and feedback receiving processes?
• How to create and test an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)?
• How to effectively collaborate with the team and stakeholders?
• How to iteratively improve the product based on collected data?
• How to innovate and build competitive advantage?
• How to avoid analysis paralysis and balance detail with speed of delivery?
• How to effectively manage the product lifecycle from concept to completion?

What benefits do you get?

The training allows participants to better understand their organization, the challenges it faces and more effectively steer its growth. It contains theoretical knowledge and practical methods taken from the idea of product thinking, entrepreneurship, innovation, facilitation, usability, stakeholder management and many other areas.

As a result of this training, participants from different areas of the organization will:

• know and understand aspects needed to effectively manage the product development and its value optimization,
• acquire skills necessary to apply mentioned methods in practice,
• understand how and why new methods can positively affect their work and product.

Whenever possible, topics presented during the training are explained through a game/exercise that allows to apply the learned practice or principle in the business context. Exercise or game usually ends with a debrief and discussion on how to adapt the presented practices to the participants’ context.