The problem with discovery theatre
We've over-rotated on process. Sticky notes, opportunity trees, and 90-minute synthesis workshops have become the *performance* of learning rather than learning itself.
What to keep
- Talking to 5 customers a week, every week
- Writing down what surprised you
- One-page bets, not 12-slide decks
What to cut
- Recurring "discovery sync" meetings with no decision owner
- Personas built from desk research
- Roadmap reviews that re-litigate strategy monthly
What to replace it with
A weekly written update: what we learned, what changed, what we're betting on next. That's it.