Product Discovery Workshop for MVPs that actually ship

If you are about to invest real money into an MVP or new product, guessing is expensive. A Product Discovery Workshop gives you clarity on who you are building for, what matters for version one, and how to prove traction without wasting six months and your runway.

BYBOWU is a product and development agency based in Phoenix, AZ, working with startups and product teams across the US and worldwide. Our Product Discovery Workshop is a focused engagement under our Startup MVP Development services, designed to shape a buildable MVP from your idea, constraints, and market reality.

When a discovery workshop is the right move

This service is for founders, product managers, and non-technical leaders who recognize that the riskiest part is not the code, it is building the wrong thing. Typical situations where a workshop pays off:

You have a strong vision, but stakeholders are not aligned on what MVP really means.
You are choosing between several feature sets or business models and need a clear decision.
Developers keep asking for specs, edge cases, and success metrics that are not defined yet.
You are moving from a manual or spreadsheet-based workflow to a SaaS product and need structure.
You have tried a first version of the product, but adoption or activation is weak and you want to rethink.

If any of these sound familiar, discovery is not a "nice to have", it is your cheapest risk reduction.

What we cover during Product Discovery

The goal is simple: leave with a shared, realistic plan for your MVP that can be designed and built without guesswork. We blend product strategy, UX, and engineering thinking in a few structured steps.

Context and goals. We start with your current situation: business model, target markets, competitors, internal constraints, and funding runway. Together we define what a "win" looks like for the first 3–6 months after launch.
Users, jobs, and pains. We map your core user segments, what jobs they are trying to get done, and the pains that make them care. This keeps features tied to behavior, not opinions.
Core flows and feature set. We outline key user journeys, such as onboarding, core action, and repeat use. Then we prioritize features into MVP, next, and later buckets, so you can ship something valuable without bloating scope.
Tech and integrations. We discuss realistic implementation options based on your budget and internal skills, and identify required integrations (payments, CRM, analytics, third-party APIs). When relevant, we connect this with our Web Development, Mobile App Development, or Integrations & API Development services.
Validation and metrics. We define the first experiments or signals that will tell you if the product is working: sign-ups, activations, retained users, qualified leads, or revenue. We also outline basic analytics you should have in place.

What you get as concrete deliverables

By the end of the workshop, you do not walk away with abstract notes. You get a clear, structured set of artifacts you can use with BYBOWU or any other team.

A concise product brief that defines audience, problem, solution outline, and success metrics.
MVP scope document with prioritized features (MVP, next, later) and key user journeys.
High-level architecture outline and suggested tech choices aligned with your roadmap.
Draft user flows and low-fidelity screens for critical paths like onboarding and core actions.
Initial release plan with phases, assumptions to validate, and dependencies.
An indicative budget and timeline range for design and build, based on the agreed scope.

Most clients use these deliverables to kick off a focused MVP build with us through MVP Prototyping or a full SaaS MVP Build, or to align internal teams and investors.

What you can order

Rapid MVP Alignment Session — A focused 2–3 hour remote workshop to align founders, product, and marketing on goals, target users, and an initial MVP feature list. Ideal if you already have some research and need decisions, not a full reset.
Full Product Discovery Workshop — A 1–2 week engagement with multiple sessions covering users, journeys, features, tech options, and validation. Includes a written product brief, MVP scope, and an estimated roadmap for design and development.
Discovery + Clickable Prototype — Everything in the full workshop plus a clickable prototype of key flows, usually built in Figma, that you can test with users or show to investors before committing to full development. Pairs well with our Figma Prototyping & Interactive Design services.
Technical Discovery for Existing Products — For teams with a working product that is hard to scale. We combine product discovery with a light technical review to suggest a cleaner MVP 2.0 scope and map out integration or refactor needs with our Custom Software Development and DevOps & Cloud Engineering options.

How engagement works with BYBOWU

We keep the process simple and predictable so you can stay focused on your business.

1. Intro call. A short call to understand your idea, current stage, and constraints. If a workshop is the right fit, we agree on scope and format (remote or, when practical, in-person sessions in Phoenix).
2. Preparation. We send a short questionnaire and request any existing materials: pitch decks, research, personas, or product docs. This cuts down on workshop time spent catching up.
3. Workshop sessions. We run 1–4 structured sessions with you and key stakeholders. Expect direct questions, visual exercises, and clear decisions, not endless post-it notes.
4. Synthesis and deliverables. We translate workshop outcomes into clear documents, flows, and recommendations. You get everything in shared formats your team can edit.
5. Next steps. We walk you through build options with BYBOWU, or help you brief your internal or external development team. If you proceed with us, the workshop output becomes the foundation for design and implementation.

Whether you are local or working from another time zone, we are used to running discovery over video and async channels without slowing you down.

Why choose BYBOWU for product discovery

Builder mindset, not just facilitators. We design and build products all day. The workshop is grounded in what can actually be shipped with your budget and tech stack, not blue-sky exercises.
Product, UX, and engineering at the same table. Your idea is reviewed from all three angles, so you avoid the classic trap of a beautiful concept document that engineers cannot implement on time.
Clear decisions, not endless brainstorming. We focus on trade-offs, priorities, and next steps. You walk out with yes/no decisions and a roadmap, not just a pile of ideas.
Easy handoff into build. Because we also handle Web Development, Mobile Apps, and Support & Maintenance, you can keep one partner from idea through launch and beyond.
Experience across business models. From marketplaces and portals to B2B tools and ecommerce, we bring patterns from real projects, not theory.

Proof it works in the real world

Marketplace MVP scope that could ship fast

For a modern clothing marketplace, we helped narrow a feature-heavy vision into an MVP focused on catalog, search, and checkout. That clear scope set up a smooth design and build process and gave the client a platform they could evolve over time. See project details.

Real estate roommate platform clarity

A team building a roommate finder needed to define who their primary user was and which matching features mattered for launch. Discovery sessions led to a leaner onboarding and profile model that made the first version easier to build and test. See project details.

B2B dropshipping portal foundations

Before building a B2B dropshipping portal, we worked with the client to map complex supplier and reseller workflows into a simple initial product. That up-front work reduced scope creep and produced a portal that made everyday ordering and product management more manageable. See project details.

Questions founders usually ask

How long does a Product Discovery Workshop take?

Most discovery engagements run between a few days and two weeks, depending on complexity and how many stakeholders are involved. The core live sessions usually fit into 4–8 hours total, with our team doing the heavy lifting on synthesis and documentation between meetings.

What budget should I plan for discovery?

Compared to full development, discovery is a small, fixed investment that often saves multiples of its cost in avoided rework. You can see typical ranges on our Prices page, and we will give you a clear quote once we understand your idea and scope.

Can we do the workshop fully remote if we are not in Phoenix?

Yes. Most of our clients are outside Arizona, sometimes outside the US. We run workshops over video with collaborative tools for whiteboarding and documentation. If you prefer in-person sessions and travel is practical, we can also meet for a concentrated on-site day.

What do you need from us before we start?

We ask for a short written overview of your idea, any existing research or decks, and clarity on who will join the sessions and make decisions. If you already have a prototype or live product, we also review it ahead of time to avoid repeating work you have done.

Do we have to build the MVP with BYBOWU afterwards?

No. You own the workshop outputs and can use them with any development team. Many clients choose to stay with us for MVP Launch & Iteration, but there is no obligation. Our goal is to give you clarity and assets that stand on their own.

What if we already did some discovery?

If you have personas, research, or prior product docs, we build on them rather than starting from zero. In many cases, a shorter alignment session and a refinement of your MVP scope is enough. We will recommend the leanest option that gets you to a buildable plan.

Talk through your MVP or product idea

If you share a short description of your product and goals, we can usually suggest a discovery format, rough budget, and timeline within one business day.

If you are still early, we can review your current thinking and point out the key questions to answer before you commit to design and development.

Product Discovery Workshop

Service Details