pre-prd-research

Applies before any PRD exists: problem validation, market/competitive research, stakeholder interviews, ideation, root cause analysis. Does not apply once the PRD is being written.

Core belief: fall in love with the problem, not the solution.

Four Pillars

Pillar	Focus	Key Question
Business Analysis	Evidence & Requirements	What do we know for certain?
Creative Problem-Solving	Root Causes & Systems	What's really going on?
Brainstorming	Possibilities & Ideas	What could we do?
Innovation Strategy	Value & Positioning	Why would anyone care?

Flow

ACTIVITY A: UNDERSTAND (problem analysis, stakeholder map, market research) -> ACTIVITY B: EXPLORE (ideation, root cause hunt) -> ACTIVITY C: DEFINE (strategic synthesis, validation)

Traceability

ID format: [Project]-[Activity]-[Type]-[Number]

• PROJ-A-INT-001 = Interview finding #1
• PROJ-B-IDEA-003 = Idea #3
• PROJ-C-OPP-002 = Opportunity #2

Traceability matrix columns:

Research ID	Finding	Source	PRD Requirement	User Story
PROJ-A-INT-001	Users frustrated by X	Interview	REQ-001	US-001

Details: references/traceability-guide.md

Entry & Exit Criteria

Entry: initial idea/request/problem exists; stakeholders available; time allocated (minimum 2-3 sessions).

Exit (Gate to PRD):

• Problem validated with multiple stakeholders
• Root causes identified and verified
• Market/competitive landscape understood
• Solution space explored
• Strategic positioning defined
• Assumptions explicit and tested
• Go/No-Go decision justified

ACTIVITY A: UNDERSTAND

5 Whys Analysis

Emit: Stated Problem: [Initial statement]; Why 1..Why 5 each -> [Answer] with Why 5 -> [Root Cause]; Validation Method: [How to verify].

Problem Severity

Rate each dimension 1-10: Frequency, Impact, Reach, Urgency, Strategic. Score = (Frequency x Impact x Reach) + (Urgency x 2) + (Strategic x 3)

Stakeholder Interview Structure

1. Opening (5 min): Purpose, permission
2. Context (15 min): Workflow, frustrations, magic wand
3. Problem Exploration (20 min): Recent occurrence, actions, feelings, workarounds
4. Impact (10 min): Time/money cost, others affected
5. Solution Space (10 min): What tried, ideal solution
6. Closing (5 min): Missing questions, who else to talk to

Questions: references/interview-guide.md

Stakeholder Power/Interest Matrix

	Interest Low	Interest High
Power High	Satisfy	Manage Closely
Power Low	Monitor	Keep Informed

Competitive Analysis

Table columns: Competitor, Target, Features, Pricing, Strengths, Weaknesses. Key questions: Gap in market? Overserved needs? Underserved needs? Emerging trends? Method: references/competitive-analysis.md

Jobs-to-be-Done

When [situation] I want to [progress] So I can [outcome]. Also capture emotional job, social job.

ACTIVITY B: EXPLORE

Brainstorming Techniques

1. Classic: How Might We... (10 min)
2. SCAMPER: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to use, Eliminate, Reverse
3. Crazy 8s: 8 ideas in 8 minutes
4. Worst Possible Idea: generate terrible solutions, then reverse
5. Six Thinking Hats: White(facts), Red(emotion), Black(risks), Yellow(benefits), Green(creative), Blue(process)

Facilitation: references/brainstorming-techniques.md

Idea Capture

Emit per idea: Idea: [Title]; ID: [PROJECT]-B-IDEA-[XXX]; One-Liner: [Explain in one sentence]; User Value: [Why would someone want this?]; Wild Rating: 1-5.

Root Cause Investigation

Systems Map: system boundaries; feedback loops (reinforcing/balancing); leverage points (small changes, big effects); unintended consequences.

Theory of Constraints:

1. IDENTIFY the constraint
2. EXPLOIT it (maximize output as-is)
3. SUBORDINATE everything else
4. ELEVATE the constraint (increase capacity)
5. REPEAT (find new constraint)

Insight Clustering

Emit per cluster: Cluster: [Theme Name]; Insights: [List]; Pattern: [Common thread]; Opportunity: [What to do].

ACTIVITY C: DEFINE

Frameworks in depth: references/strategic-frameworks.md

Blue Ocean Strategy

Four Actions Framework — per factor, decide: ELIMINATE, REDUCE, RAISE, CREATE.

Value Proposition Canvas

Customer Profile: Jobs (Functional, Emotional, Social); Pains — [Pain]: Severity (1-10); Gains — [Gain]: Importance (1-10). Value Map: Products & Services; Pain Relievers; Gain Creators.

Opportunity Scoring

Criterion	Weight
User Value	30%
Feasibility	25%
Strategic Fit	20%
Time to Value	15%
Risk Level	10%

Score each option (Option A, Option B, ...) per criterion.

Assumption Mapping

Table columns: Assumption, Impact, Certainty, Validation Method. Example row: [Critical] | High | Low | [How to test].

Quick Reference

Mode	Trigger	Tools	Output
Business Analyst	Need evidence	Interviews, 5 Whys, JTBD	Problem statement, stakeholder map
Brainstorming	Need ideas	SCAMPER, Crazy 8s, Six Hats	Idea backlog, opportunities
Problem-Solver	Need root causes	Systems Map, TOC, TRIZ	Root cause analysis
Innovation Strategist	Need positioning	Blue Ocean, Value Prop	Strategic positioning

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Fix
Solution Bias	Write assumptions, try to disprove
Confirmation Seeking	Assign devil's advocate
Sampling Bias	Cover stakeholder matrix
Analysis Paralysis	Time-box, define "good enough"
Idea Attachment	Generate 10+ alternatives first

Minimum Viable Research (1 week)

1. Day 1-2: 3-5 stakeholder interviews
2. Day 3: Competitive scan (2 hours)
3. Day 4: 90-minute brainstorm
4. Day 5: Synthesis and recommendation

Output Location

docs/research/YYYY-MM-DD-[project]/
  research-report.md
  traceability-matrix.md
  interviews/
  analysis/
  ideation/
  opportunities/