Continuous discovery is an approach to user research used in agile teams where research is conducted as small, frequent activities throughout the product development lifecycle. This infuses customer feedback into all product decisions instead of focusing on one-time research activity at the beginning of a project.
Product discovery coach and author of Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value, Teresa Torres explains in this video:
Product discovery refers to research that aims to identify what a product team should build—the solution, features and improvements—based on the customer’s needs. Continuous discovery refers to a sustained practice of product discovery to inform product development decisions continuously.
In many software development processes, teams work linearly in clearly demarcated stages. As the team completes one stage, it hands the deliverables to the next stage.
The most common stages are requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance. In most teams that implement waterfall, work flows in one direction. If the team decides to make any changes in the earlier stages, every activity “downstream” is affected—hence the term “waterfall.” Typically, teams that follow waterfall invest heavily in discovery at the beginning of the project while gathering requirements.
In the early 2000s, when teams began adopting Agile, they recognized that the “big-design upfront” approach was not going to work and made continuous efforts to distribute the requirements discovery process across iterations.
Agile methods are iterative. Most agile teams work in short sprints—usually 2 to 4 weeks—at the end of which they ship working software. The team reviews customer feedback and plans improvements in future sprints. © Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
In the agile framework, teams focus on shipping working software as soon as possible and iterating based on customer feedback. Since most teams work in short bursts (called sprints), teams often have little time for the big upfront research that project-based teams typically conduct. For this reason, several agile teams pressurize researchers to complete all research in unrealistic time frames, or worse, skip research entirely.
Continuous discovery helps agile teams reap the benefits of research without compromising on speed and quality of research and, at the same time, not burdening researchers.
Continuous discovery essentially requires a mindset shift. Teams can adapt most research methods to conduct research continuously. For example, a team can conduct interviews, contextual inquiries, prototype tests, etc., with a few customers every week. Continuous discovery is most effective when:
The team defines and strictly adheres to the schedule of the research activities. For example, if a team commits to interviewing four customers every Friday, the team must follow it regularly without pausing the schedule.
Team members collaborate on the research activities. When teams delegate research to a single person or the same group of researchers, researchers may find it difficult to “sell” research insights. For example, team members could question the research findings or the methodology. But if engineers, business stakeholders and designers actively participate in the research activities, they will be more likely to trust the research insights. Since they will have first-hand experience interacting with the customers, each member can then combine this customer knowledge with their domain expertise to contribute towards product decisions. Everyone in the team does not need to participate in every research session. Instead, representatives of each role can take turns participating in sessions so that everyone benefits while their own work does not suffer.
For more on how to implement continuous discovery and other practical insights on working on agile teams, take the course, Agile Methods in UX Design.
If you’re short on time for an entire course, take this hour-long Master Class by Teresa Torres, in which she explains how to use the opportunity solution tree.
Continuous discovery is not just an adaptation of research for agile but a fundamental shift in mindset. Here are three mindsets that you need to approach continuous discovery and get the desired outcomes.
Read Marty Cagan’s views on continuous discovery and other agile concepts here.
Desirée Sy’s article in the Journal of Usability Studies explains how the team at Autodesk incorporated user research into their agile processes in the early days of Agile.
Continuous product and UX design discovery is an ongoing process where teams regularly engage with users to gather insights, validate assumptions, and inform decisions throughout the product development lifecycle. Unlike traditional methods that conduct research only at the project's start, continuous discovery integrates user feedback into every stage, ensuring the product evolves with user needs.
This approach involves frequent activities like user interviews, usability testing, and prototype evaluations. By maintaining a steady stream of user input, teams can quickly identify and address issues, prioritize features that matter most to users, and reduce the risk of building products that miss the mark.
Explore what continuous discovery means for design, as Teresa Torres: Product Discovery Coach at Product Talk, speaker, and author of Continuous Discovery Habits discusses:
Continuous discovery helps solve some of the most significant problems in product and UX design—misaligned features, wasted development time, and poor user adoption. When teams wait too long for feedback, they often build solutions users don't need or understand. Continuous discovery solves this by keeping user insights at the center of every decision.
It reduces risk by validating ideas early and often, before investing time in development. It also helps teams prioritize the right problems by uncovering real user needs through interviews, usability tests, and prototype feedback. This clarity leads to more focused roadmaps and fewer product failures.
For example, Atlassian uses continuous discovery to keep its product teams closely connected with customer pain points. This allows them to fix the right issues before they scale.
Take our course Get Your Product Used: Adoption and Appropriation.
Start continuous discovery as early as possible—ideally from day one of your project. Early discovery helps you define the right problem before building anything. It grounds your ideas firmly in real user needs, which minimizes the risk of creating solutions no one wants.
The best time to begin is during the idea or concept phase—in design thinking, for example, this translates to the empathize phase, when you're building a solid groundwork in user research. Use interviews, observations, and simple prototypes to test assumptions and explore user pain points. This early input guides your product direction and prevents costly rework later. However, continuous discovery doesn't stop there—keep it going through development, launch, and beyond.
Leading companies like Airbnb embed discovery in every sprint to stay user-focused throughout the product lifecycle. Make discovery a habit, not a phase.
Watch as William Hudson, User Experience Strategist and Founder of Syntagm Ltd, explains the basics of user research, and how to approach it step by step:
In a continuous discovery process, aim to talk to users at least once a week. Weekly user interactions keep your team closely aligned with real needs, challenges, and behaviors. This rhythm helps you test assumptions quickly, validate solutions early, and adapt before you might waste time on the wrong ideas.
Teresa Torres, a leading voice in discovery practices, recommends “weekly touchpoints with customers by the team building the product.” This regular cadence supports faster, smarter decisions and builds a habit of learning. It also helps your team stay user-focused, even under pressure to deliver features.
Don't wait for perfect usability tests—casual conversations, quick interviews, or prototype feedback sessions all count. Companies like Amazon and Miro use weekly research sprints to fuel continuous innovation.
Discover how prototyping helps design, with Alan Dix: Author of the bestselling book “Human-Computer Interaction” and Director of the Computational Foundry at Swansea University:
Ask open-ended questions that uncover users' goals, frustrations, and behaviors. In discovery interviews, avoid pitching your idea or leading users to specific answers. Instead, focus on learning how they currently solve problems and what challenges they face.
Good discovery questions include:
“Can you walk me through the last time you did [task]?”
“What made that experience easy or difficult?”
“What tools do you use, and why?”
“What happens if you don't complete this task?”
“What would an ideal solution look like?”
Questions like these reveal user context, decision-making patterns, and pain points. They also help you discover unmet needs that might not surface through surveys or analytics.
Discover points to watch out for as Ann Blandford: Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at University College London explains pros and cons of user interviews.
Everyone on the product team should take part in continuous discovery—especially designers, product managers, and developers. When these roles engage directly with users, they build a shared understanding of problems and align on what matters most. This leads to better decisions and faster iteration.
Designers uncover user pain points and test solutions. Product managers frame business goals and guide priorities. Developers explore technical feasibility and spot edge cases early. Involving all three roles in user interviews and insight analysis ensures that learning gets translated into better products.
Teresa Torres states the value of “triad discovery teams” that include one person from each role. This setup drives collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning. Companies like Booking.com and Slack use this model to stay close to users while building high-impact features.
Find an exciting wealth of insights and advice in the article How to Become a Product Manager: Best Career Advice.
Generative research helps you discover what problems to solve. Evaluative research enables you to test and refine solutions. Both play key roles in continuous discovery, but they serve different purposes.
Use generative research at the beginning of a project to explore user needs, behaviors, and pain points. Ask open-ended questions like, “How do you currently handle [task]?” or “What challenges do you face when doing [activity]?” This type of research fuels ideation and helps shape your product vision.
Evaluative research begins once you have ideas or prototypes. It answers questions like, “Does this solution work?” or “Can users complete their goals easily?” Techniques like usability testing, A/B testing, and concept validation fall into this category.
Smart teams use both types together. For example, Google's product teams run generative interviews to find opportunities, then validate their designs through evaluative testing.
Get insights about task analysis and the valuable information it can yield, as Frank Spillers: Service Designer, Founder and CEO of Experience Dynamics discusses:
Balance discovery and delivery by integrating both into your weekly workflow. Don't treat discovery as a separate phase—make it a habit. Aim for small, ongoing research activities that inform design and development in real time.
Use “dual-track agile” as a model: one track focuses on discovering the right problems and validating ideas, while the other delivers tested solutions. Product managers, designers, and developers collaborate across both tracks, ensuring discovery insights directly shape what gets built.
Timebox your discovery work: schedule one or two user sessions per week and keep the process of taking raw data and turning it into meaningful insights and actionable recommendations quick. Tools like assumption mapping and prototype testing speed up learning without slowing delivery.
Companies like Spotify and Atlassian use this integrated approach. It helps them build faster without losing sight of user needs.
Enjoy our Master Class Design For Agile: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them with Laura Klein, Product Management Expert, Principal at Users Know, Author of Build Better Products and UX for Lean Startups.
Prioritize insights from continuous discovery by focusing on patterns, user impact, and business value. Start by grouping similar feedback and identifying recurring themes. Repeated pain points signal real opportunities or problems worth solving.
Then, assess each insight's severity and frequency. Ask: “How often does this issue occur?” and “How badly does it affect the user?” Pair that with business impact—does solving it support key goals like retention or revenue?
Use frameworks like the Opportunity Solution Tree or the RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) score to rank insights objectively. Involve your whole team—product managers, designers, and developers—to build a shared understanding and align on priorities.
Explore the exciting realm of product management for valuable information about prioritization frameworks and a treasure trove of relevant insights.
Avoid bias in discovery interviews by asking neutral, open-ended questions and listening more than you talk. Bias sneaks in when you lead users, confirm assumptions, or interpret answers to fit your ideas.
Start by framing questions around the user's real experiences, not your product. Ask, “Can you walk me through the last time you [did the task]?” instead of “Would you use a feature like this?” Focus on what users did, not what they say they would do.
Stay curious. Don't pitch ideas or correct the user. Record and transcribe interviews so your team works from the same raw data, not personal interpretations. Review findings together to check for overgeneralizations or wishful thinking.
Learn how to make the best of user interviews as Ann Blandford gives helpful insights and tips:
Torres, T. (2024). Product Discovery Basics: Everything You Need to Know. Product Talk. https://www.producttalk.org/2021/08/product-discovery/
In this foundational article, Teresa Torres defines product discovery as the decision-making work teams do to determine what to build, contrasting it with product delivery (the actual building and shipping). She argues that while traditional project-based research involves limited customer engagement at the beginning and end of projects, continuous discovery requires teams to stay continuously connected to customers since digital products are never truly finished and require constant iteration. Torres outlines the core structure of effective product discovery: start with a clear outcome, discover opportunities (customer needs, pain points, and desires), and then discover solutions to address those opportunities. She emphasizes that good discovery teams engage in two key weekly activities—customer interviewing to uncover opportunities and assumption testing to evaluate solutions—with the "product trio" (product manager, designer, and engineer) leading this work together to avoid the "curse of knowledge" bias that prevents teams from seeing their products from the customer's perspective.
Altan, Z. (2025). Requirements elicitation in modern product discovery. Retrieved from https://zeynepaltan.info/RequirementsElicitationinModernProductDiscovery.pdf
This paper explores contemporary techniques for requirements elicitation within the context of modern product discovery. It emphasizes the transition from traditional requirements gathering to more dynamic, user-centered approaches. The study highlights methods such as user journeys, Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD), and the Opportunity Solution Tree, illustrating how these tools facilitate a deeper understanding of user needs and problems. By integrating these techniques, product teams can better align their solutions with actual user requirements, enhancing product relevance and success. The work underscores the importance of continuous engagement with users and iterative validation in the product development process.
Books
Torres, T. (2021). Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value. Product Talk LLC.
Teresa Torres' Continuous Discovery Habits is a seminal work that has significantly impacted the field of product management. The book introduces a structured and sustainable approach to continuous discovery, emphasizing the importance of regular customer engagement to inform product decisions. Torres advocates for integrating discovery activities into the daily routines of product teams, promoting a mindset shift from project-based research to continuous learning. Her practical frameworks, such as the Opportunity Solution Tree, provide actionable tools for teams to identify customer needs and align them with business outcomes. This book is essential reading for product managers, designers, and engineers aiming to build products that truly resonate with users while driving business success.
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