Discovery Calls – Diagnose Before You Prescribe

Great discovery creates clarity: problem, impact, constraints, and decision process.

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Learning goal

• Run a 25-minute discovery structure with a clear agenda.
• Capture problem impact with numbers (time, money, risk).
• End with a committed next step.

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Why it matters

• Weak discovery produces weak proposals and “ghosting”.
• Impact converts interest into urgency.
• Decision-process clarity prevents late-stage surprises.

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Explanation

Discovery agenda (25 minutes)

1. Set the frame (3 min): goal + agenda + timing.
2. Current state (7 min): process, tools, stakeholders.
3. Problems + impact (10 min): where it breaks and what it costs.
4. Decision process (3 min): who decides, criteria, timeline.
5. Next step (2 min): schedule, owner, deliverable.

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Examples

Impact question: “If this stays the same for 90 days, what breaks? What’s the cost?”

Decision process question: “Who needs to say yes, and what do they need to see?”

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Guided exercise (10–15 min) — Discovery script v1

1. Write 5 current-state questions.
2. Write 5 impact questions (push for numbers).
3. Write 3 decision-process questions.

Independent exercise (5–10 min) — Call note template

Create a template with fields: problem, impact, constraints, stakeholders, criteria, timeline, next step.

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Self-check

• I can run a clear discovery agenda.
• I can quantify impact.
• I always end with a next step.