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Opportunity Solution Tree Template

Product outcome, opportunity space with evidence, target opportunity, at least three solutions, assumption tests by type, decisions, Mermaid tree

제품 및 프로젝트표준Opportunity solution tree concept (Torres, Continuous Discovery Habits, 2021)opportunitysolutiontreediagram

사용법: Use it when a product trio runs continuous discovery toward one outcome. Fill the outcome and the research-based opportunities first, then compare at least three solutions and test their riskiest assumptions. The main pitfall is writing solutions in disguise as opportunities.

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Opportunity Solution Tree: [Outcome]

An opportunity solution tree is a visual map for continuous product discovery: one desired outcome at the root, the customer opportunities (needs, pain points and desires) that could drive it, candidate solutions for a chosen target opportunity, and the assumption tests that show which solution is worth building. The concept was introduced by Teresa Torres and is described in Continuous Discovery Habits (Product Talk, 2021). This template uses the concept only, in original words. Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked Example.

Document control

FieldValue
Document ID[OST-TEAM-NN]
Product trio[@product-manager, @designer, @engineer]
Linked strategy or bet[Strategy ID and bet] Example: PVS-TALLOW-01, bet B1
Status[Exploring / Testing / Building / Closed]
Last updatedYYYY-MM-DD

Revision history

VersionDateAuthorChange
0.1YYYY-MM-DD[@owner]Tree started from interview synthesis
[0.2]YYYY-MM-DD[@owner][Target opportunity chosen, tests added]

1. Desired outcome

FieldValue
Outcome[Metric, baseline, target, date]
Why this outcome[Link to north star input or OKR]
Leading signal reviewed weekly[Signal]
Example: OutcomeShare of new workspaces activated (second member edits a shared note within 7 days) rises from 31% to 40% by 2027-06-30
Example: WhyDrives input I1 of the north star (weekly collaborating workspaces) and bet B1
Example: Leading signalShare of new workspaces that send at least one invitation on day 1

2. Opportunity space

IDOpportunity (customer need, pain or desire)ParentEvidenceCustomers affectedSize signal
OPP-1[Need]none[Research IDs][Segment][How many, how often]
OPP-1 (Example)"I don't want to invite my team to an empty space"noneRES-031 (11 of 24 interviews)Team leads setting upHigh
OPP-1.1 (Example)"I don't know what our team should write down first"OPP-1RES-031, RES-034Team leadsHigh
OPP-1.2 (Example)"My colleagues won't learn yet another tool"OPP-1RES-031 (7 of 24)Team leadsMedium
OPP-2 (Example)"When someone joins, they don't see what changed or what to read"noneRES-031 (6 of 24)Invited membersMedium
OPP-3 (Example)"I can't tell whether anyone read what I wrote"noneRES-034 open answersWritersLow

3. Target opportunity

Target opportunity: [ID and text]

Why this one: [Reasoning, with evidence]

Example: OPP-1.1 "I don't know what our team should write down first". It appeared in the most interviews, it blocks the moment of inviting colleagues (the outcome), and the team can address it without new infrastructure. OPP-2 is kept for the next cycle.

4. Solutions

IDSolutionOpportunityEffort (T-shirt)Notes
SOL-1[Idea][OPP ID][S / M / L][Notes]
SOL-1 (Example)Starter spaces by team type (agency, studio, product team) with three pinned notes to complete togetherOPP-1.1MCandidate for bet B1
SOL-2 (Example)A guided "first week" checklist inside an empty workspaceOPP-1.1S
SOL-3 (Example)Import the last 30 days of a chat channel as a draft noteOPP-1.1LNeeds integrations

5. Assumptions and assumption tests

Test IDSolutionAssumptionTypeTest methodSuccess threshold (set before)ResultDecision
AT-01[SOL ID][Assumption][Desirability / Viability / Feasibility / Usability / Ethical][Method][Threshold][Result][Continue / Change / Drop]
AT-01 (Example)SOL-1Team leads will pick a starter space rather than start blankDesirabilityFake-door choice on the new-workspace screen for 1 weekAt least 40% pick a starter52% of 1,310 picked a starter (681)Continue
AT-02 (Example)SOL-1Team leads can complete a pinned note in under 5 minutesUsabilityModerated prototype test with 6 team leads5 of 6 succeed4 of 6 succeeded; two missed the edit buttonChange: make notes editable in place
AT-03 (Example)SOL-2A checklist is seen as helpful, not as homeworkDesirabilityOne-question in-product survey, 200 responsesAt least 60% "helpful"Not run yetPending
AT-04 (Example)SOL-1Starter content does not mislead regulated teams (for example legal or health studios)EthicalContent review by two team leads in regulated fieldsNo misleading example notesNot run yetPending

6. Decisions and next steps

DateDecisionEvidenceBacklog items
YYYY-MM-DD[Decision][Test IDs][PBI IDs]
Example: 2026-11-20Build SOL-1 as a minimal version (three team types), keep SOL-2 as a fallbackAT-01, AT-02PBI-101, PBI-102

Related templates and references

  • product/product-vision-strategy and product/north-star-metric for the outcome's context
  • design/ux-research-plan, startup/customer-discovery, product/persona for research input
  • product/ab-test-plan to measure the shipped solution against the outcome
  • product/product-backlog for the items created from validated solutions
  • Torres, T. (2021). Continuous Discovery Habits. Product Talk LLC. ISBN 9781736633304.
  • Torres, T. "Opportunity Solution Trees" (article): https://www.producttalk.org/opportunity-solution-trees/

Standard and licence note

Structure aligned with the opportunity solution tree concept described by Teresa Torres. The concept is cited by name only; no text, diagrams or examples are copied from the book or articles, and all wording and the Tallow Notes example are original. The book is a paid publication. Official text: Product Talk, purchase or licensed access: https://www.producttalk.org/continuous-discovery-habits/. Template licence: MIT.

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