Opportunity Solution Tree

Opportunity Solution Tree

Interactive skill that builds an OST (Teresa Torres' framework). Maps: Desired Outcome -> Opportunities -> Solutions -> Experiments.

Workflow

1. Define outcome — Ask user, or read from spec success metrics / roadmap goals
2. Read input data — Workshop findings, pilot feedback, user research, feedback files
3. Identify opportunities — Unmet needs and pain points from the data
4. Brainstorm solutions — 2-3 solutions per opportunity
5. Define experiments — 1-2 validation experiments per solution
6. Build tree — Mermaid diagram + detailed breakdown
7. Output — Print to conversation or write to file

The 4 Levels

Level 1: Desired Outcome

The measurable business/product outcome.

• Must be specific and measurable: "Increase WAU/MAU ratio by 15%"
• Pull from spec success metrics or roadmap goals
• One tree per outcome

Level 2: Opportunities

Unmet needs, pain points, desires — NOT solutions.

• Frame as user needs: "Users lose motivation after breaks"
• Or as "How might we..." questions
• Pull from: workshops, feedback, pilot data, persona pain points
• 3-5 opportunities per outcome

Level 3: Solutions

Feature ideas that address specific opportunities.

• Each solution addresses ONE opportunity
• 2-3 solutions per opportunity (avoid fixating on one idea)
• Can include features already on the roadmap
• Name concretely: "Recovery Mechanic" not "engagement improvement"

Level 4: Experiments

How to validate each solution before building.

• Types: prototype test, A/B test, user interview, pilot, data analysis, fake door test
• Each experiment has: hypothesis, method, success criteria, effort level
• 1-2 experiments per solution

Output Format

# Opportunity Solution Tree — {Outcome}

**Date:** {DD-MM-YYYY}
**Desired Outcome:** {specific measurable outcome}

## Tree Diagram

```mermaid
graph TD
  O["Outcome: Increase retention by 15%"]
  O --> OP1["Users lose motivation after breaks"]
  O --> OP2["Parents unaware of progress"]
  OP1 --> S1["Recovery mechanic"]
  OP1 --> S2["Progress protection"]
  OP2 --> S3["Parent dashboard"]
  S1 --> E1["Pilot with 50 users"]
  S2 --> E2["User interviews"]
  S3 --> E3["Parent survey"]

Detailed Breakdown

Opportunity 1: {description}

Source: {workshop/feedback/pilot} Evidence: {supporting data}

Solution 1a: {name}

• Description: {brief}
• Effort: Low/Medium/High
• Experiment:
  • Hypothesis: If we {action}, then {expected result}
  • Method: {prototype/interview/pilot/data analysis}
  • Success Criteria: {measurable threshold}
  • Effort: {days/weeks}

Priority Matrix

Recommended Next Steps

1. {highest priority experiment to run first}
2. {second priority}
3. {third priority}

## Anti-Patterns

- Don't jump to solutions without defining opportunities first
- Don't have only one solution per opportunity — that's not discovery, that's a feature request
- Don't skip experiments — untested solutions are guesses
- Don't define vague outcomes — "improve engagement" is not measurable

## Quality Checklist

- [ ] Outcome is specific and measurable
- [ ] Opportunities are user needs, not solutions in disguise
- [ ] Each opportunity has 2-3 solutions
- [ ] Each solution has at least 1 experiment
- [ ] Mermaid tree diagram is included
- [ ] Priority matrix ranks solutions