Define: Charting The Course
Build the right things, not just more things. A thoughtful definition process helps catch expensive assumptions early and sets you up for smoother development downstream.
Put assumptions to the test
Rushing to build without understanding the problem wastes both time and opportunity. It's a pattern I see repeatedly - and occasionally fallen into myself. Validating assumptions early might feel like adding an extra step, but it ultimately creates a clearer path forward with fewer expensive mistakes.
I've seen teams pour months into features that ended up barely used, all because they skipped proper validation. A good define phase isn't about adding bureaucracy—it's about creating clarity that makes everything afterwards run smoother. When you know what problem you're actually solving, and for whom, you're much more likely to build something people genuinely want.
If your product is just a spark of an idea, a thoughtful discovery process gives it structure. I can help validate key assumptions, understand the challenges your audience faces, and map out a journey that resonates. This works whether you're launching something new or evolving what already exists.
I combine thoughtful async work with focused collaboration, creating an effective partnership regardless of time zones or busy schedules. The goal is to build what users actually need, not just what a loud voice in the room (or in our heads) thinks they want.
Define a definition
Surfacing Hidden Assumptions
Every project has ideas that seem obvious until questioned. By mapping who we're building for and what they actually need, we can separate reality from wishful thinking. When you catch these misunderstandings early, you're set up to avoid those painful mid-development pivots that burn through time and morale. The process helps separate actual user needs from internal opinions or one-off requests.
Moving Beyond "Build It and They Might Come"
Good intentions don't guarantee product success. By identifying your ideal customers and testing ideas before heavy investment, you're giving yourself the best chance of solving real problems instead of imagined ones. Teams that do this groundwork typically have an easier time finding their first enthusiastic users. Sometimes this means challenging comfortable assumptions - but far better to adjust course early than discover problems after months of development.
Creating Clarity That Speeds Everything Up
When your team shares a clear understanding of what you're solving and why, everything tends to move more smoothly. We'll map the journey users will take and start scaffolding the architecture. The spec focuses on highest-value features and flows - targeting what truly matters rather than trying to solve everything at once. A well-documented product direction can help reduce those endless back-and-forth conversations where different people have completely different mental models of what you're building.
Focusing on What Actually Moves the Needle
A practical roadmap helps you prioritize what delivers value fastest. When teams have clarity on what to build first and why, they're better positioned to ship meaningful features quickly instead of trying to build everything at once. You'll also have clearer signals about whether you're gaining traction or need to adjust course. Perfect predictions? Impossible. But having direction that adapts as you learn more? That's the point.
What if you're really early
From the top, make it drop
Design sprints answer critical business questions quickly. But traditional sprints demand a full week of everyone's time - practically impossible for busy teams and key stakeholders. I've adapted the process to work asynchronously. Same clarity, less calendar disruption.
Using collaborative digital tools and a structured process, we move through key phases at a pace that works for everyone. You get the momentum and clarity without the scheduling nightmares. And you can actually keep doing your day job while figuring out if this idea has real potential.
My tools & approach
I prefer an async-first process using tools that enable seamless collaboration across locations and time zones:
FigJam for Visual Thinking
FigJam is perfect for remote brainstorming and organizing thoughts. A digital whiteboard where ideas don't get lost or misinterpreted days later. When ready to move from concepts to actual designs, everything transitions smoothly into Figma and is easy to find and reference later.
Figma for Documentation
The GOAT. Beyond just making things look pretty, Figma serves as a central hub for living docs and specs (at least for designers). Easily share, comment, and iterate on designs and patterns as a team, right in the browser if you want.
Loom for Context
For digesting longer flows and bigger ideas, who doesn't love using 1.5x speed? Videos provide clear context and keep the human element when we can't meet face-to-face. Timestamped comments and emojis make my day.
Slack and Google Meet
Regular updates keep everyone informed while focused calls create space for decisions that need real-time discussion. The right balance keeps things moving without meeting fatigue.
Timeframe & Investment
A design project focused on defining a product can take 3-4 weeks from kickoff to final deliverables. This timeframe includes:
- Initial discovery exercises (3-5 days)
- Focused collaborative sessions (2-3 sessions of 2 hours each)
- Concept development and testing (1-2 weeks)
- Documentation and roadmap creation (3-5 days)
Projects typically require between 40-60 hours of engagement from my side, with about 10-15 hours of active participation from your team throughout.
Want to spend less time building things nobody uses?
A structured discovery process gives you the clarity to:
- Stop a cycle of scope creep and feature bloat
- Focus dev time on features users actually want
- Give new team members clear direction so they can contribute faster
Your product could be documented and validated before a single user signs up, saving time, money, and those painful pivots down the road.
Strategy is just the start, time to execute
Build what's next or refine what you have with a design partner that understands the product journey.
Build
From UI design to implementation, bring validated ideas to life at the right level of fidelity. With a strategy backed with evidence, you can be confident that you're ready to build.
See how
Manage
An established product still needs focus. Use metrics to help your product grow based on reality and talk to existing users to stay in touch with what matters.
See how
Ready to define your product vision?
Let's discuss how I can help turn your idea into a clear, actionable product strategy.