What is the Discovery Phase: Outputs, Benefits and Steps
What is the Discovery Phase: Outputs, Benefits and Steps
What is the Discovery Phase: Outputs, Benefits and Steps
May 17, 2022
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8 min read
<medium>The discovery or scoping phase<medium> is a process of collecting and analyzing information about the project, its intended market, and its audience. It allows a well-rounded and in-depth understanding of the goals, scope, and limitations.
The product discovery process helps understand the needs and requirements of the end user. The technical part of this process leads to the creation of system requirements specification (SRS). This document encompasses essential information required for product development, including primary and additional features, measurable deliverables, and more.
What are the outputs of the discovery phase?
New startups are launched worldwide almost every day, from sunny Cape Town to Alaska. However, for each successful business idea, there are thousands that fail. Nearly half of the startups (42%) fail because they don't meet a market need.
How can we avoid these pitfalls in IT project delivery? And how do we ensure that product development stays on track?
Comprehensive analysis is a great navigator for your product development process. The discovery phase is vital for business owners who want to complete their projects on time and budget.
<medium>The business analyst<medium>and <medium>account manager<medium> take the lead during the discovery stage, supported by team leads, software developers, and designers. Together, they collaborate on tasks such as writing project scope, creating SRS, and developing wireframe prototypes.
The outputs of the discovery phase are crucial for your development project. Once this stage is complete, you will receive:
<medium>System requirements specification.<medium> This document fully describes the project's goals, features, technology stack, and architecture overview. Study it carefully and suggest any necessary corrections before approving it.
<medium>Preliminary UX prototypes.<medium> Long before developers start working on your project, you will receive a simple representation of the digital interface and its core features. Together with an SRS, these prototypes provide a clear understanding of how the project will progress and how the product will be developed.
<medium>MVP development plan and estimates<medium>. You will get a suggested team lineup and an accurate development timeline and a budget estimate.
The discovery stage tackles uncertainty at the beginning of any project. <medium>Communication, research, and analysis<medium> form the power of three that help businesses set goals and define the direction of the development process. Moreover, they are essential to identify and address potential roadblocks and risks.
What are benefits of the project discovery phase
When everyone is rushing to get the product launched, the project discovery phase may seem like a waste of time. However, this step is pivotal for successful development. It helps:
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With benefits addressed, <medium>let's consider what happens when you skip the project discovery stage<medium> and start the development process without clearly defined goals and milestones:
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How to run a discovery phase?
Time and budget estimations are vital to shaping <medium>a holistic perspective of your project and laying the foundation for further software development.<medium>
The business development team accurately estimates the time and costs needed to create MVP or a full-scale product.
The size of the project can extend the duration of this stage, but the outline of the discovery phase remains the same:
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When do you need the discovery phase checklist?
Our business development team has prepared <medium>a self-guided discovery checklist<medium> to save time and money. It's a simple and free roadmap designed to identify the key points on your product development journey.
<medium>Why do you need this checklist?<medium>
you can save 10-20 hours of discussion with IT companies (describe once and immediately answer the most important questions)
find the most efficient and cost-effective solution to your business needs
get a more accurate budget and timelines
avoid the mistake of lacking product-market fit
<medium>In this checklist you will come up with the following:<medium>
product requirements (business requirements, user requirements, non-functional requirements, etc.)
The discovery phase is a <medium>crucial checkpoint on the map of startup development.<medium> IT professionals help you avoid failed decisions, identify project bottlenecks timely, and save resources.
Therefore, it is a vital tool to pitch your project to stakeholders, mitigate risks, and gain a clear picture of your product development journey.
Are you looking for a real-life example of how to conduct a discovery phase and why it matters? Here we go! We share <medium>our case of a significant discovery phase<medium> that helped us realize successful project development.
The described project discovery enables us to prevent misunderstandings and establish a development plan with <medium>well-defined requirements and development tasks derived from discovery session findings<medium>.
Final thoughts
Software development companies don't try to increase the price by adding services besides coding. With dozens of projects in their portfolios, they know the value of the discovery stage. It lays the groundwork for a successful project by ensuring clarity, reducing risks, and aligning stakeholders' expectations.
Our clients have firsthand experience with the benefits of the discovery. Contact us for a free consultation if you are ready to start your project or scale existing business.
