Opportunity Solution Tree
The Opportunity Solution Tree is a visual artifact used to map out the relationship between customer needs (opportunities) and potential solutions that a product or service can offer. It starts with a desired outcome, branches out into opportunities (customer needs or problems), and then further into solutions and experiments to address those opportunities.
Purpose
The purpose of the Opportunity Solution Tree is to help teams align on the desired outcome and understand the customer needs that drive towards that outcome. It encourages exploration by promoting the identification and exploration of multiple opportunities and solutions, preventing premature convergence on a single idea. It also facilitates decision making by providing a structured approach to evaluate different paths, making it easier to decide which opportunities and solutions to pursue.
Format
- Desired Outcome: The root of the tree, stating the ultimate goal of the product or project.
- Opportunities: Branches that represent customer needs or problems identified through research.
- Solutions: Sub-branches that depict potential ways to address each opportunity.
- Experiments: Leaves that represent the smallest tests designed to validate the potential solutions.
Anti-patterns
- Too many jobs / personas: You should create a separate tree for each job or persona.
- Overloading the Tree: Adding too many opportunities or solutions without prioritising, leading to analysis paralysis.
- Solution Bias: Jumping straight to solutions without adequately exploring opportunities, which might overlook deeper customer needs.
- Lack of Iteration: Failing to revisit and revise the tree based on new insights or outcomes from experiments, leading to a static rather than a dynamic planning tool.