Product Discovery As an Art- ft. David Periera, Product Coach

Welcome to a special edition of our blog, inspired by a delightful and enlightening conversation with David Pereira on our product discovery-focused podcast series Discovery Dive.

Get to Know David Pereira

Say hello to David Pereira, a seasoned Product Coach, engaging Author, and dynamic Keynote Speaker. If you’re passionate about product management and thrive on LinkedIn insights, you’re likely among his 73,000+ followers soaking up his expert narratives. David recently published a new book, Untrapping Product Teams: Simplify the Complexity of Creating Digital Products, which is packed with insights drawn from his extensive career.

Being a product leader, he passionately coaches teams to deliver outstanding value to customers while achieving desired business results. He’s all about making complex product decisions feel simple and guiding teams to success.

A Glimpse of Our Conversation

• Product discovery as an art
• Evolution from feature-driven to outcome-focused methodologies
• An anecdote that highlights the significance of product discovery
• The vital role of continuous discovery
• Strategies to demonstrate the value of continuous product discovery.
• Guidance for product teams

Here’s What We Discussed

Unveiling the Art of Product Discovery

David kicked off the discussion by sharing the essence of his new book, which is aimed squarely at those rooted in the product sphere. He articulated, “The book is mainly written for product people. And by that I mean anyone who works with products. Product managers will benefit the most because I write from this perspective.” He further explained that his book serves as a guide to help teams “face reality and then understand how to create value,” emphasizing the unavoidable traps and challenges along the way.

The Evolution of Product Building

Reflecting on his extensive career, which started back in 2012, David has witnessed a significant shift in product management — from a feature-heavy approach to one deeply rooted in outcomes. “When I started, we were more into creating features… now it is clear to define the outcome we want to achieve,” he explains. The tools have changed, too, with AI now playing a pivotal role, providing new capabilities to accelerate and refine the product development process.

An Unforgettable Date with Product Discovery

David shared a particularly striking moment early in his career that stood out as his “unforgettable first date” with product discovery. He shared, “I had started working for a startup for the first time in my life. And then, during my first meeting with the startup CEO, he told me that he wanted us to redesign an app in the next three months.”

David was left to contemplate the CEO’s direction and realized, “what if, for our audience, it is not natural to have an app?” This led him to shift the project from an app to a more suitable web platform after discovering that the target users didn’t frequently use smartphones. This pivot dramatically changed the project’s direction and was a profound lesson in meeting customers where they are, not where you expect them to be.

The Continuous Nature of Product Discovery

Addressing the necessity of continuous product discovery, David described it as “an art that’s proving ourselves wrong fast enough.” He elaborated, “Product discovery helps us step away from the solution space and explore the problem space,” thus allowing teams to uncover what truly drives value for users.

Challenges in Continuous Discovery

Towards the end of our talk, David discussed the challenges companies face when shifting from one-time product research to a continuous discovery process. “Most companies do not like investing in what they don’t see the direct value,” he explained. To combat this, he suggests making product discovery an inclusive process: “It’s about making incremental bets… and then progressing.”

Concluding Thoughts

Our conversation with David Pereira provided deep insights into the evolving world of product discovery. His experiences remind us that successful product management is about continuously aligning with user needs through meticulous discovery and thoughtful implementation.

Our chat with David Pereira was enlightening and a reminder of the fiery nature of product management. His experiences and insights serve as a valuable guide for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of product discovery and its crucial role in creating successful products. Check out the complete video here 👇