- Goals & problem definition
- User needs & workflows
- Technical feasibility
- Risks & constraints
- Prioritised scope
- Actionable output
- Goals & problem definition
We start by getting specific about what you're trying to achieve. Not "we need an app" or "we want to use AI," but the actual business problem you're solving and how you'll measure whether the solution works.
This sounds obvious, but it's remarkable how often a project kicks off with different stakeholders holding different assumptions about what's being built and why. Discovery makes those assumptions visible before they cause problems.
- User needs & workflows
Software that doesn't fit how people actually work gets ignored or worked around. We map out who'll use the system, what they need from it, and where current processes create friction.
This isn't months of research. It's focused conversations and lightweight mapping that give us enough to design something people will actually use.
- Technical feasibility
Some ideas are straightforward to build. Others have hidden complexity – integrations with legacy systems, data quality issues, regulatory requirements, performance demands that rule out certain approaches.
We identify these early so the plan reflects reality, not assumptions. If something isn't feasible within your budget or timeline, you'll know before you've committed, not halfway through development.
- Risks & constraints
Every project has constraints: budget, timeline, internal resource, existing technology, compliance requirements. And every project has risks that could derail it if they're not acknowledged upfront.
We map both. Not to produce a risk register that sits in a drawer, but to make sure the plan we build accounts for the things most likely to cause problems.
- Prioritised scope
Discovery almost always surfaces more work than the budget allows for. That's normal and expected. The value is in knowing what matters most, so you can build the right things first and defer the rest deliberately rather than running out of money halfway through a feature list nobody ranked.
We work with you to separate what's essential from what's desirable, so the first release solves the core problem and everything else follows in a sensible order.
- Actionable output
You won't get a vague strategy deck. Discovery produces a concrete plan: defined scope, technical approach, cost estimate, timeline, and clear next steps. Something you can take to a board, a budget holder, or a development team and say "this is what we're doing and this is what it'll cost."
If you decide not to proceed with us after discovery, the output is still yours. It's a genuinely useful document regardless of who builds the thing.
