Compare customer problems before committing to a feature or delivery promise. Use the example as a starting point, then adapt the steps to your product, team, and evidence.
WHAT YOU’LL LEAVE WITH
A short opportunity brief and a decision to investigate, defer, or stop.
Before you begin
- A problem signal and its source
- The affected segment and existing workaround
- Known constraints and alternative opportunities
STEP 01
Describe a problem in context
Write who struggles, what they are trying to do, when it happens, and the consequence. “Add bulk editing” is a solution request. “Administrators repeat the same change across many records” describes an observable problem.
STEP 02
Inspect the evidence
Collect interviews, support records, behavioral data, or direct observation. Record dates and source links. Separate a frequent complaint from a severe problem. Identify whose perspective is missing.
STEP 03
Understand the current alternative
Find out how people solve the task today, including spreadsheets, manual assistance, competitors, and doing nothing. Look at the effort and switching cost. A proposed feature must improve on a real alternative.
STEP 04
Estimate with ranges
Use available counts and assumptions to describe possible reach and value. Keep estimates separate from observed data. Show a low and high scenario where precision is not justified; avoid multiplying guesses into a confident forecast.
STEP 05
Identify the cheapest useful test
Name the uncertainty that matters most. A few observations may test workflow friction; a prototype may test usability; a commercial pilot may explore adoption and value. Choose a test suited to the claim.
STEP 06
Make an explicit call
Recommend investigate, defer, or stop, with reasons and an owner. Explain what new evidence would reopen a deferred opportunity. Share the brief with the people who supplied the original signal.
MAKE THIS PROMPT YOUR OWN
Critique this opportunity brief using only the supplied evidence. Identify the user problem, existing alternatives, uncertainty in reach and value, and the assumption most worth testing. Suggest a suitable next investigation. Do not fabricate market size or willingness to pay.
YOUR EDITABLE WORKSHEET
Opportunity assessment
Separate a customer problem from your preferred solution.
Download the template ↓Check your work
- Is the problem separate from a preferred solution?
- Have existing alternatives been examined?
- Are estimates labeled?
- Does the next test address the main uncertainty?
Further reading: related templates & resources ↗
Editorial guide · Reviewed September 27, 2026. Tool interfaces may change.