Matt Murphy

For founders with an idea and no plan yet

Product discovery: work out what to build first

A few conversations that turn your idea into a one-page brief, user flows and a first version small enough to build.

Product discovery Two weeks

Book a 20-minute callWhere we start

What gets worked out

  • Who it’s forThe one kind of person the first version serves.
  • The jobThe one thing they need it to do first.
  • TodayWhat they use now, and why that falls short.
  • The flowsThe screens and decisions, drawn before anything is built.
  • First versionWhat’s in, and what waits.
  • RisksWhat to test before you spend on building.

You get a one-page product brief, the user flows, and a plan for a prototype.

What you get

  • Who it’s for, and the one job it does first
  • What they use today instead
  • User flows for that one job
  • What’s in the first version, and what waits
  • The risks worth testing before you build
  • A one-page product brief

The brief is yours. Build from it with me, with someone else, or not at all.

How it works

  1. Tell me

    The idea, and who you think it’s for.

  2. Talk

    Two or three conversations about the job it has to do.

  3. Flows

    The screens and decisions, drawn.

  4. Brief

    One page, and what to build first.

Proof

  • Live product

    Pathway Builder

    Software I built so community-college teams can map programs, courses and competencies into routes they can see, from short-term training to a degree. Right now I’m adding a place to weigh new program ideas with evidence.

    Read the story

  • In development

    Encore

    I’m building one system for community-college continuing-education teams: catalog, registration and payment, class operations, attendance, completion and certificates.

    Read the story

Where we start

Product discovery

Timeline Two weeks

Included

  • Two or three discovery conversations
  • A one-page product brief
  • User flows for the core job
  • A list of what’s in the first version and what waits
  • A plan for a prototype

Not included

  • Building anything
  • Market research reports
  • Pitch decks and fundraising
Book a 20-minute callOr send a note and I’ll reply with a time.

Where

Anywhere, remotely; in person around Iowa City and Cedar Rapids when it helps.

Questions people ask

What is product discovery?

The work before building: who the product is for, the one job it does first, and what the first version leaves out.

Do I need a finished idea?

No. A problem you know well is enough. The conversations are where it gets a shape.

What if the idea doesn’t hold up?

Then you found out in two weeks, before paying for a build. The brief says what would have to be true for it to work.

How much of my time does it take?

Two or three conversations of about an hour each, plus reading the brief and telling me where it’s wrong.

What comes after discovery?

A clickable prototype people can try, then a first version. Each is its own step, and you can stop after any of them.

Other ways to work together