Common mistakes in product discovery sessions

What I enjoy most about the role of a Product Owner is product discovery.

Many of these sessions have ended in failure 😓—but looking back, I now see those failures as invaluable. Connecting the dots helped me realize that each misstep carried a lesson.

Out of these experiences, I’d like to share the most common mistakes I made (and I believe many newbies do too).

Leading by example in reverse! 

💀 Using discovery sessions for validation:

Let me explain by using a story. 

When I go to yoga, my lovely instructor always says "Use your mind like a beginner. Approach each position as if you’re experiencing it for the first time.". In Greek it's called the αρχάριος νους.

Αccording to Shunryu Suzuki:

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.

I try to bring this principle into discovery sessions today—but it wasn’t always the case.

In my early days, I’d talk briefly with stakeholders who often already had a solution in mind. Instead of uncovering the real problem, our discovery sessions revolved around scoping and validating that solution.

The outcomes? Misaligned priorities, missing impact, and a lot of wasted effort. 💔

💀Jumping too fast to conclusions:

Coming from a tech background, I was used to designing solutions fast and checking feasibility. As a data scientist,  I wasn't exactly the one who had to decide the whole approach of an AI product, but influence part of it. In product, your role is different: you must deeply understand customer problems before shaping solutions. 

That means letting customers talk, actively listening, and only gently guiding the conversation - setting a framework. We need to let them do the talking but don't go way tooooo far (it happens and you need to bring them back). 

What I found really useful, was some trainings that I took about customer interviews and UX, based on Norman's Nielsen approach. One method that really stuck is that during the user interviews to repeat their words back and ask open-ended questions.

 Example:

 - Customer: "It feels too hard to complete a deposit in my account. It’s not clear how to proceed."

- Product person:  "Not clear, right. Can you tell me more about that?"

This small technique encourages customers to think out loud—and that’s where the insights live.  😁

💀Lack of structure:

If you let customers completely drive the session, it can spiral. You’ll run in circles, lose hours, and leave with no clear next steps.

My solution: set up a lightweight structure.

• Create a simple miro or whatever board works for you, with some basic placeholders.
• Use some simple visuals to keep discussions grounded.

👉Heads up, I am working on preparing a template, including a scenario!

💀 Being trapped in what we currently have and letting the customers dictate the solution:

The users many time walk into the interview with solutions in mind about to an underlining problem. They have tought about how they should solve their problem. That's natural!

BUUUUT....it's not their role to design the solution. This needs to be made crystal clear (and trust me, it’s not always easy). Your goal as a product person is to dig deep into the problem, and uncover hidden opportunities. Yes, customers may share some good ideas, but they can't decide on how the solution will be built. That’s where your tech team comes in—with the expertise and creativity to shape the right approach.

And remember, we’re living in the AI era. Some problems might be solved in ways customers haven’t even imagined, with AI/ML or other innovative methods. Don’t limit yourself to patching what already exists, flaws and all. Think beyond. Think outside the box.

***

I think I've said enough! I’m not an expert in product discovery, but I’m embracing these learnings and improving every session.

👉Material of interest:

Here is a nice and free mini course about product discovery sessions. The course will mainly give you some guidance and some resources to start your sessions.

💥 What's next?

I am currently reading the "Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value" by Teresa Torres and I am planning to share my key reflections soon. Stay tuned product folks!