9 October 2025
Rethinking Discovery: Learning Faster, Building Smarter
by Doug Alcorn
For years, discovery meant slowing down before you could speed up—two or three weeks of research, documentation, and setup before a single thing was built. Clients would walk away with plenty of insight and be ready to kick off the next step, but not much they could actually use yet. So we started asking: what if discovery wasn’t a waiting period, but a launchpad?
From Two Weeks to Two Days
Today, our discovery process runs three times faster than it used to. In just two to three days, we dive into the essentials: who you are, what you do, and where we can make the biggest impact first. Instead of trying to solve everything at once, we look for the most valuable chunk of work—something small enough to start now, but meaningful enough to create visible progress. By narrowing our focus early, we can start building sooner, validate assumptions faster, and adjust before time or budget are spent heading in the wrong direction. So, what changed? Over time, we realized that the most valuable insights don’t come from weeks of prep—they come from close collaboration and momentum. We stopped treating discovery as a standalone phase and started treating it as the first sprint of real work. By staying hands-on and making quick, informed decisions together, we uncover what matters most. By narrowing our focus early, we can start building sooner, validate assumptions faster, and adjust before time or budget are spent heading in the wrong direction.
Build While You Learn
Our teams meet daily or every other day, staying close and aligned from day one. Each conversation uncovers something new—about your users, your data, or your business—that feeds directly into what we build next. This rhythm creates a kind of flywheel: every small release sparks feedback and new ideas, keeping everyone engaged and moving forward. The product gets better, faster, and you get to see that progress in real time. Clients aren’t just handed a report; they’re part of a continuous learning process that results in something tangible and valuable every step of the way.
An Example in Action
Recently, a client came to us with a challenge: they wanted a clear way to show customers the measurable value their offering creates over time. Instead of spending weeks planning, we kicked off a short discovery sprint to unpack their process and identify the right entry point. By the end of the first week, we had a functioning prototype using real data to illustrate that value. It was something their team and their customers could immediately understand. That early visibility gave everyone confidence in the direction, sparked new ideas, and built trust that we were solving the right problem. And because the client could see the results right away, it shifted the conversation from “what should we build?” to “how can we make this even better?”
Why It Works
This leaner discovery process doesn’t just move faster, it creates smarter outcomes.
- Faster validation: You see what’s working early, not months in.
- Smarter use of budget: Every dollar goes toward something that adds value right now.
- Higher engagement: Seeing progress early keeps teams excited and thinking bigger.
- Smoother momentum: Even if a project pauses, we can easily pick back up where we left off. It’s a process built for momentum, clarity, and confidence—on both sides of the table. Ready to Move from Thinking to Building? If you’re ready to skip the long ramp-up and start seeing results in days, not weeks, let’s talk. We’ll find your most valuable starting point and build something real, fast.
