By Teresa Torres · producttalk.org · @ttorres on X · LinkedIn
Teresa Torres argues that many product managers are so consumed by delivery work (grooming backlogs, triaging bugs, handling schedule slips) that they lack time for discovery, the work of figuring out what to build. Ad hoc usability tests and sporadic customer chats don't amount to a discovery strategy, which requires sustained time. Since companies rarely halt delivery entirely, she proposes relieving product managers of sole delivery ownership so the broader product team shares responsibility for shipping. This matters because without discovery, teams keep building features without knowing whether they solve real customer problems.
01Key takeaways
- Recognize when delivery work is consuming the time you need for customer discovery.
- Ad hoc usability tests and sporadic customer calls are not a sustainable discovery strategy; schedule dedicated time for it.
- Freeing discovery time usually means redistributing delivery ownership rather than stopping delivery.
- Make tech leads, designers, and analysts feel responsible for shipping outcomes, not just product managers.
- Avoid over-shielding the team from schedule consequences, since that prevents shared accountability.
02Key sections
- Why teams crave discovery
- Product teams increasingly ask whether they are building the right things and what customers actually need. Torres frames this as a longing for more discovery work, distinguishing it from delivery as Marty Cagan does.
- Delivery crowds out discovery
- When product managers act as factory throughput managers, their days fill with backlog grooming, bug triage, and schedule fixes. That leaves no time to learn from customers and make well-informed decisions.
- Ad hoc discovery is not enough
- Occasional usability studies, customer conversations, or feedback-channel reading helps but doesn't constitute a systematic discovery strategy. Sustainable discovery needs dedicated time.
- Free up time by sharing delivery
- Since companies won't stop delivering to make room for discovery, the realistic option is to shift delivery responsibility onto tech leads, designers, and analysts, not only product managers.
- Balancing the shield
- Product managers often shield teams from missed schedules, which can keep others from feeling accountable. Torres promises future exploration of how to strike the right balance.
03From the post
““How do we know if we are building the right things?” “We are building feature after feature but to what end?” “How do we know what customers really want or need?" Have you heard these sentiments before? I am hearing them more and more. Underlying each quote is a yearning”
04Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.