/opportunity-solution-tree

name: opportunity-solution-tree
description: Build an Opportunity Solution Tree from outcomes to opportunities, solutions, and tests. Use when a stakeholder request needs problem framing before you decide what to build.
intent: >-
  Guide product managers through creating an Opportunity Solution Tree (OST) by extracting target outcomes from stakeholder requests, generating opportunity options (problems to solve), mapping potential solutions, and selecting the best proof-of-concept (POC) based on feasibility, impact, and market fit. Use this to move from vague product requests to structured discovery, ensuring teams solve the right problems before jumping to solutions—avoiding "feature factory" syndrome and premature convergence on ideas.
type: interactive

Purpose

Guide product managers through creating an Opportunity Solution Tree (OST) by extracting target outcomes from stakeholder requests, generating opportunity options (problems to solve), mapping potential solutions, and selecting the best proof-of-concept (POC) based on feasibility, impact, and market fit. Use this to move from vague product requests to structured discovery, ensuring teams solve the right problems before jumping to solutions—avoiding "feature factory" syndrome and premature convergence on ideas.

This is not a roadmap generator—it's a structured discovery process that outputs validated opportunities with testable solution hypotheses.

Key Concepts

What is an Opportunity Solution Tree (OST)?

An OST is a visual framework (Teresa Torres, *Continuous Discovery Habits*) that connects: 1. **Desired Outcome** (business goal or product metric) 2. **Opportunities** (customer problems, needs, pain points, or desires that could drive the outcome) 3. **Solutions** (ways to address each opportunity) 4. **Experiments** (tests to validate solutions)

**Structure:**

         Desired Outcome (1)
                |
    +-----------+-----------+
    |           |           |
Opportunity  Opportunity  Opportunity (3)
    |           |           |
  +-+-+       +-+-+       +-+-+
  | | |       | | |       | | |
 S1 S2 S3    S1 S2 S3    S1 S2 S3 (9 total solutions)

Why This Works

• **Outcome-driven:** Starts with business goal, not feature requests
• **Divergent before convergent:** Explores multiple opportunities before picking solutions
• **Problem-focused:** Opportunities are problems, not solutions disguised as problems
• **Testable:** Each solution maps to experiments, not just "build it and ship"
• **POC selection:** Evaluates feasibility, impact, market fit before committing resources

Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)

• **Not a feature list:** Opportunities are problems customers face, not "we need dark mode"
• **Not solution-first:** Don't start with "we should build X"—start with "customers struggle with Y"
• **Not waterfall planning:** OST is a discovery tool, not a project plan
• **Not a one-time exercise:** OSTs evolve as you learn from experiments

When to Use This

• Stakeholder requests a feature or product initiative
• Starting discovery for a new product area
• Clarifying vague OKRs or strategic goals
• Prioritizing which problems to solve first
• Aligning team on what outcomes you're driving

When NOT to Use This

• When the problem is already validated (move to solution testing)
• For tactical bug fixes or technical debt (no discovery needed)
• When stakeholders demand a specific solution (address alignment issues first)

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Facilitation Source of Truth

Use [`workshop-facilitation`](../workshop-facilitation/SKILL.md) as the default interaction protocol for this skill.

It defines:

• session heads-up + entry mode (Guided, Context dump, Best guess)
• one-question turns with plain-language prompts
• progress labels (for example, Context Qx/8 and Scoring Qx/5)
• interruption handling and pause/resume behavior
• numbered recommendations at decision points
• quick-select numbered response options for regular questions (include `Other (specify)` when useful)

This file defines the domain-specific assessment content. If there is a conflict, follow this file's domain logic.

Application

Use `template.md` for the full fill-in structure.

This interactive skill follows a **two-phase process**:

**Phase 1:** Generate OST (extract outcome, identify opportunities, map solutions) **Phase 2:** Select POC (evaluate solutions, recommend best starting point)

---

Step 0: Gather Context (Before Questions)

**Agent suggests:**

Before we create your Opportunity Solution Tree, let's gather context:

**Stakeholder Request or Product Initiative:**

• What did the stakeholder ask for? (Feature request, product idea, strategic goal)
• Any existing materials: PRD drafts, OKR documents, strategy memos, meeting notes
• Problem statements, customer complaints, or research findings

**Product Context (if available):**

• Website copy, positioning statements, product descriptions
• Competitor materials, customer reviews (G2, Capterra), community discussions
• Usage data, support tickets, churn reasons

**You can paste this content directly, or describe the request briefly.**

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Phase 1: Generate Opportunity Solution Tree

Question 1: Extract Desired Outcome

**Agent asks:** "What's the desired outcome for this initiative? (What business or product metric are you trying to move?)"

**Offer 4 enumerated options:**

1. **Revenue growth** — "Increase ARR, expand revenue from existing customers, new revenue streams" (Common for scaling products) 2. **Customer retention** — "Reduce churn, increase activation, improve engagement/stickiness" (Common for established products with retention issues) 3. **Customer acquisition** — "Increase sign-ups, trial conversions, new user growth" (Common for early-stage or growth products) 4. **Product efficiency** — "Reduce support costs, decrease time-to-value, improve operational metrics" (Common for mature products optimizing operations)

**Or describe