Q:What is an opportunity solution tree?

An opportunity solution tree is a visual map that links a desired product outcome to the customer opportunities beneath it, the candidate solutions for those opportunities, and the assumption tests that validate them¹³. Teresa Torres describes it as a way for product trios to chart the best path to their desired outcome while staying aligned through continuous discovery¹⁴.

01Structure of the Tree

• The root is the desired outcome, the business need showing how the team creates business value⁴.
• The opportunity space sits beneath it and holds the customer needs, pain points, and desires that would drive that outcome⁴.
• The solution space lists the solutions being explored, and assumption tests sit below to evaluate which solutions create customer value that also drives business value⁴¹.

02Why Teams Use It

• It helps resolve the tension between business needs and customer needs and builds a shared understanding of how to reach the outcome⁴.
• Seeing the tree lets teams revisit their understanding of the customer when a solution fails, rather than simply moving on to the next idea⁴.
• Torres notes that a tree's shape reflects the team's current understanding of its customer, guiding what discovery to do next⁴.

03Making It Work

• Opportunities should come from real customer stories rather than memory, and should be specific about the moment, context, and customer³.
• Keep opportunities in the problem space; Torres notes most people mistakenly write them as solutions⁶.