Putting the outcome at the top of the tree

In an opportunity solution tree, the outcome at the top serves as the guiding scope for all the discovery work. It helps teams identify which opportunities are relevant and directs focus towards the right solutions. There are generally 3 types of outcomes:

• Business outcomes: These are financial metrics that measure the overall health of the business, like increasing revenue, growing market share, or reducing churn. These outcomes reflect broader business goals but might be too abstract for direct product team control.
• Product outcomes: These measure customer behavior or sentiment directly related to the product. This could include metrics like increasing engagement, improving customer satisfaction, or reducing product friction. Product outcomes are more within the team's control and are usually the preferred type for guiding opportunity solution trees.
• Traction metrics: These measure the adoption or success of a single feature. While important, they are often too narrow for discovery work and are better used as part of product optimization rather than exploration.

Having a product outcome at the top of the tree usually strikes the best balance, providing clear direction while allowing room for discovery and adaptation.