Solution ideation
- Adrian Agho
Getting clear on the goals, the problems, and the solutions
Let’s go over the different elements of our endeavor:
The goal. These are the objectives the business needs to achieve. They should be clearly defined and measurable. This is the reason you are on this journey.
The problems. The problems being addressed are the needs, pain points, and desires that were uncovered during the discovery exercise. The problems being addressed are the ones that are related to the current goal, and no other issues will be considered.
The solutions. The solutions to the above problems. Solve these problems, meet business objectives, meet the goal.
Why solution ideation is a team exercise
Solution ideation is a team endeavor, not a task that the product manager undertakes alone.
The best solutions may lie with other team members or stakeholders. It is very important to present the solution space in a clear and concise manner to the stakeholder and encourage them to contribute their ideas towards solving those problems.
This approach has several advantages, including reduced friction with stakeholders, improved alignment with future efforts, and shared ownership of the product's success.
Less friction with stakeholders. Simultaneously presenting problems and solutions can lead to unnecessary iterative discussions with business leads. Some stakeholders may be encountering the problem for the first time and require time to assimilate it and contribute effectively. They will want to be heard and contribute their ideas, which may be better than what is being presented to them.
Better alignment on efforts going forward. Once all stakeholders have contributed their ideas and a consensus has been reached on the best solution, the path to execution becomes evident. This clarity instills confidence in the product team to move forward.
Shared ownership of the product’s success. When stakeholders are heard and their ideas are incorporated into the product, they feel more invested in the product's success. This is because they feel like they are part of the process and that their voices were heard.
Using the opportunity-solution tree (OST) as a launchpad
While most discovery outputs are useful, the most relevant for the brainstorming exercise to be conducted would be the opportunity-solution tree (OST). Here the problem space is properly presented:
The root node of the tree - the goal of the discovery exercise.
The leaf nodes - singular problems.
Everything in-between - groupings and themes that show interrelationships between the single problems and how they relate to the goal.
Stakeholders can look at this article and do a couple of things:
Getting a complete sense of the problem space - a tree shows these interrelationships better than a list / backlog.
Decide on which problems are worth tackling and in what order.
Brainstorm solution ideas
Each stakeholder works individually on each problem or opportunity using the OST. This approach helps to avoid bias or the HIPPO (highest-paid-person's-opinion) problem. Subsequently, the stakeholders meet as a group to present their solution proposals for each problem or opportunity. A dot-vote is taken for each distinct solution proposal, and the winner of the vote is selected as the solution to be further developed.
When brainstorming solutions, the best elements of several solutions can sometimes be combined to create a superior solution.
Maps and blueprint to get clarity
The following methods can be employed to document and elaborate your solution ideas:
[WIP] Testing risky assumptions