Opportunity solution tree

The Opportunity Solution Tree (OST) is a non-linear visual device that aids in problem-solving. The Opportunity Solution Tree is a concept that has only recently gained popularity. Teresa Torres, a product discovery coach, came up with the idea in 2016. Torres developed the Opportunity Solution Tree to challenge certain assumptions regarding the product discovery process.

The OST is a visual way to understand how you plan to achieve the goals you set for your company, product, or project. This text highlights some common mistakes that happen during the product discovery process. This is done by methodically mapping out the opportunities and how you seize them.

The importance of opportunity solution trees

The solution tree assists a company, particularly product teams, find more direct and simple paths to the desired solution and outcomes.OST does that with a step-by-step method, apart from trying to solve problems right from the get-go.

A well-placed opportunity solution can help you stay on track throughout the idea process, allow you to get a different point of view on your product, and block any noises or veering that can take you away from the main issues.

Furthermore, a product team can convey the desired goal and investigate how you will achieve it with the help of this tool.

Product teams can also use the OST model to identify and address customer pain points throughout the development process, ensuring that the end product provides the most significant possible benefit to the customer.

How to use opportunity solutions trees

Using an Opportunity Solution Tree is a simple process.

Outcome, opportunity, solution, and experiment are the four primary elements of the Opportunity Solution Tree diagram, divided into four categories.

To get you started, here’s a brief step-by-step tutorial for creating your Opportunity Solution Tree for product discovery:

• The first stage is to determine what you want to achieve at the end. This could be any metric, such as higher income, increased user signups, or improved NSP ratings. Once determined, this one outcome is at the very top of the tree and will remain there until the end.
• Starting with the intended objective, you should conduct some customer research to identify the tasks or pain points that you must address to achieve it. These difficulties are referred to as opportunities, and they constitute the next stage of your OST. You are free to incorporate as many of them as you want.
• It’s time to get down to business and solve some problems. The following branch below is devoted entirely to finding solutions. Identifying ways your product could alleviate these client pain points should be done as a collaborative effort. Include all of the solutions that you can think of.
• Experimentation is at the heart of the OST at its most fundamental level. Combine your challenges and answers into actionable experiments, which may be used to determine whether or not your primary OST goal has been achieved.