NW-DISCOVER: Evidence-Based Product Discovery

Wave: DISCOVER | Agent: Scout (nw-product-discoverer)

Overview

Execute evidence-based product discovery through assumption testing and market validation. First wave in nWave (DISCOVER > DISCUSS > SPIKE > DESIGN > DEVOPS > DISTILL > DELIVER).

Scout establishes product-market fit through rigorous customer development using Mom Test interviewing principles and continuous discovery practices.

Context Files Required

• docs/project-brief.md — Initial product vision (if available)
• docs/market-context.md — Market research and competitive landscape (if available)

Previous Artifacts

None (DISCOVER is the first wave).

Wave Decisions Summary

Before completing DISCOVER, produce docs/feature/{feature-id}/discover/wave-decisions.md:

1. Record Key Decisions — List each decision as [D1] {decision}: {rationale} (see: {source-file}). Gate: every major discovery choice has a rationale entry.
2. Record Constraints — List each constraint established from evidence. Gate: all constraints have an evidence source.
3. Record Validated Assumptions — List each assumption confirmed, with confidence level. Gate: confidence level stated for each.
4. Record Invalidated Assumptions — List each assumption disproved, with evidence reference. Gate: evidence reference present for each invalidation.

This summary enables downstream waves to quickly assess DISCOVER outcomes without reading all artifacts.

Document Update (Back-Propagation)

Not applicable (DISCOVER is the first wave — no prior documents to update).

Agent Invocation

1. Dispatch Agent — Invoke @nw-product-discoverer with Execute *discover for {product-concept-name}. Gate: agent dispatched.
2. Provide Context Files — Pass docs/project-brief.md and docs/market-context.md if available. Gate: available context files referenced.
3. Apply Configuration — Set interactive: high, output_format: markdown, interview_depth: comprehensive, evidence_standard: past_behavior. Gate: configuration confirmed.

Peer Review Gate

1. Dispatch Reviewer — Invoke @nw-product-discoverer-reviewer before handoff to DISCUSS. Gate: reviewer dispatched, all discovery artifacts available.
2. Verify Review Scope — Reviewer checks: evidence quality (past behavior, not future intent), interview coverage and threshold compliance, assumption validation rigor (G1-G4 gates), lean canvas coherence with interview findings. Gate: all four dimensions assessed.
3. Handle Rejection — On REJECTION: revise artifacts per reviewer findings and re-submit. Gate: max 2 attempts; escalate to user if unresolved.
4. Confirm Approval — Block handoff to DISCUSS until reviewer returns APPROVED. Gate: explicit approval received.

Success Criteria

Refer to Scout's quality gates in ~/.claude/agents/nw/nw-product-discoverer.md.

• All 4 decision gates passed (G1-G4)
• Minimum interview thresholds met per phase
• Evidence quality standards met (past behavior, not future intent)
• Peer review approved by @nw-product-discoverer-reviewer
• Handoff accepted by product-owner (DISCUSS wave)

Next Wave

Handoff To: nw-product-owner (DISCUSS wave) Deliverables: See Scout's handoff package specification in agent file

Examples

Example 1: New SaaS product discovery

/nw-discover invoice-automation

Scout conducts customer development interviews, validates problem-solution fit through Mom Test questioning, and produces a lean canvas with evidence-backed assumptions.

Expected Outputs

docs/feature/{feature-id}/discover/
  problem-validation.md
  opportunity-tree.md
  solution-testing.md
  lean-canvas.md
  interview-log.md
  wave-decisions.md