Article Outline
- Introduction: My Student’s Breakthrough
- What is Discovery Mapping?
- Key Aspects of a Discovery Map
- 7 Steps on How to Create a Discovery Map
- Step 1: Define Your Discovery Map Objective
- Step 2: Develop Assumptions About Your Ideal Customer
- Step 3: Validate Assumptions Through Interviews
- Step 4: Create Your Discovery Map
- Step 5: Fill in Each Section
- Step 6: Look for Patterns and Insights
- Step 7: Use Your Discovery Map to Improve Your Idea
- Overcoming Challenges in Discovery Mapping
- Final Thoughts
My Student’s Breakthrough
Last week, a student visited my office to discuss a brilliant new gadget she was developing. I asked her what a potential customer would want from her product. In other words, what “job” were they hiring it to do, as Clayton Christensen might say. She eagerly launched into a list of its features.
Halfway through, I stopped her. She had clearly thought deeply about her product, but she had spent far less time considering the buyer and the user. In her case, those were two different groups. I challenged her to return in a week, after taking time to reflect on the individuals who would actually interact with her gadget and be influenced by it.
A week later, she returned with a new perspective. The experience had been eye-opening for her. She realized she had been so focused on features that she hadn’t truly considered how her product would fit into her customers’ lives. People don’t buy features. They buy solutions that solve problems they care about.
One of the biggest challenges in launching a business is truly understanding who your customers are and what matters to them. My student came to see that her gadget was more than just a collection of capabilities; it needed to seamlessly integrate into her customers’ daily experiences.
As she left my office, I encouraged her to take the next step by conducting interviews with potential users. I also advised her to go through the process of Discovery Mapping to better understand her ideal customers.
What is Discovery Mapping?
Discovery Mapping is an essential tool for entrepreneurs who want to build products and services that genuinely address their ideal customer’s needs. It provides a structured approach to understanding your audience by mapping out what they might say, think, do, and feel about your business idea. By visually organizing these insights, you can uncover hidden patterns, challenge assumptions, and refine your business offering before investing significant time and money.
Now, instead of relying solely on assumptions, Discovery Mapping helps you bridge the gap between what you think your ideal customers need and what they actually experience. It allows you to step into their shoes, identify pain points, and recognize opportunities for differentiation in a crowded market.
Key Aspects of a Discovery Map
1. Says – What Customers Express
This section captures the phrases, complaints, or desires customers openly state. It can include statements from interviews, customer reviews, or feedback forums.
2. Thinks – Internal Thoughts and Concerns
This section explores what customers might be thinking but not necessarily saying out loud. These insights often come from deeper conversations or behavioral observations.
3. Does – Actions Customers Take
This section records the behaviors and habits customers engage in when looking for a solution. Observing what they do (rather than just what they say) provides crucial insights.
4. Feels – Emotional Drivers and Reactions
This section examines how emotions influence decision-making. Fear, frustration, excitement, and relief all play a role in how customers interact with your product.
When creating your own Discovery Map, don’t be concerned if some of your notes seem to fit into more than one quadrant. This overlap can provide valuable insights into how different aspects of a customer’s experience are interconnected.
Example: If a customer says, “There aren’t enough late-night food delivery options,” it may also indicate an emotional frustration (Feels) about not having convenient meal choices. Similarly, if they scroll through multiple food apps without ordering, it could be recorded under both Does and Feels, reflecting both their actions and their sense of indecision or frustration.
7 Steps to Building an Effective Discovery Map
Follow these steps to build a discovery map for your business idea. This process will guide you in thinking through how potential customers might respond to your product or service.
Step 1: Define Your Discovery Map Objective
Before diving into assumptions and research, clearly define what you want to achieve with your Discovery Map. Are you trying to understand why customers choose a specific product, how they engage with a service, or what emotions drive their decisions? Having a well-defined objective helps your Discovery Map remain focused and actionable. Additionally, you can build your customer engagement strategy by uncovering key motivations, decision-making patterns, and barriers to adoption.
When setting your objective, consider whether you are exploring customer behaviors, identifying pain points, or validating a business idea. Your goal should guide you toward an actionable outcome.
Objective Example
“The goal of this Discovery Map is to explore what influences students’ meal choices at night, including spending habits, food preferences, and decision-making, to see if a late-night food option appeals to those who struggle to find quality meals outside regular dining hours.”
Step 2: Develop Assumptions About Your Ideal Customer
Start by listing what you assume about your potential customer.
It is not uncommon to first do Discovery Mapping based solely on your assumptions. However, the true value of a Discovery Map emerges when you complement these assumptions with real-world insights. Conducting interviews with potential customers, taking detailed notes, and creating a Discovery Map helps you make informed decisions that reduce risk and improve product-market fit.
Step 3: Validate Assumptions Through Interviews
Once you have your assumptions, interview individuals who match the profile of your potential customers. These interviews will help you refine or challenge your assumptions. Take notes on what they say, how they think, what they do, and how they feel about the problem your business aims to solve.
As mentioned in Step 1, having a clear focus for your Discovery Map is essential. To achieve this, consider various interview types that provide valuable customer insights. The following interview types will assist in further developing your approach:
Step 4: Create the Discovery Map
Whether digital, typed, handwritten, or on a whiteboard, a Discovery Map can take multiple formats to suit your workflow. Regardless of the method, the structure remains the same. It is a four-section chart centered around your customer.
Label each section of your map:
- Says – What might they say about their needs or frustrations?
- Thinks – What are their thoughts, concerns, or goals?
- Does – What actions might they take when searching for solutions?
- Feels – What emotions might drive their decisions?
Here is an example of a blank Discovery Map that you can use for your own use:
Step 5: Fill in Each Section
Use your assumptions and interview insights to complete each quadrant:
- Says: What would they say out loud about their problem? Example: “I wish there was an easier way to organize my family’s schedule.”
- Thinks: What might they be thinking but not expressing? Example: “I don’t want to spend too much money on this.”
- Does: What actions might they take? Example: Looks for free apps, asks friends for recommendations.
- Feels: What emotions might they experience? Example: Overwhelmed, frustrated, relieved when they find a good option.
Step 6: Look for Patterns and Insights
After filling out your discovery map, step back and analyze it:
- Do the sections connect logically? If not, adjust your assumptions.
- Are there any contradictions? (For example, a customer saying they want convenience but taking actions that suggest price is more important.)
- Do certain themes repeat? This can point to strong motivations or barriers.
Step 7: Use Your Discovery Map to Improve Your Idea
Now that you have a clearer picture of your potential customer’s mindset, refine your business idea accordingly. Ask yourself:
- Are you solving the right problem?
- Does your idea fit their needs, thoughts, and feelings?
- Are there opportunities to make your product or service more appealing?
For example, if your map shows that potential customers feel overwhelmed when making choices, simplifying your offering could be a key improvement.
Overcoming Challenges in Discovery Mapping
As you work through this process, you may run into obstacles. Here’s how to handle them:
Final Thoughts
For early-stage entrepreneurs, Discovery Mapping is a helpful tool for understanding customer needs before launching a product or service. It shifts the focus from assumptions to real insights by enabling you to see your business through the customer’s eyes.
My student, like many entrepreneurs, initially focused on features rather than how her product fit into customers’ lives. Discovery Mapping shifts this focus, assuring your business idea resonates with the audience you intend to reach.